Take 2

The problem I have with blogging is that I often use it like a journal and so I’m constantly shaping and changing and adjusting what I think, the same as many other bloggers. I sometimes avoid reading my past blogs because I know I’ve probably changed my point of view on some things and would now disagree with what I’ve written in the past. Then, I feel embarrassed because I shared an intimate thought with the blogging world, and now I don’t even agree with it…but no one else knows that, only I do. This is the dilemma of a people pleasing blogger. I also get excited about what I’m thinking about and just start typing. The problem is that what makes sense to me at that moment later reads like a jumbled mess of thoughts. So, here is take two of Who is my god, not God , an attempt to clarify a previously jumbled mess:

Is it ever OK to lie? Is it ever good to lie? I was asking myself this question while reading about Rahab the other day. It surprised me because I live by the standard that “honesty is the best policy”. I was confused because Rahab’s story (see Joshua 2) is about how she hid the Israelite spies and then lied about it and betrayed her country… and yet she is found faithful in Heb. 11. Not only that, she is a part of Jesus' genealogy. What is her significance? What made her faithful enough (if there is such a thing) to be listed among Abraham and Isaac and Moses?

Here is my conclusion: I believe she was found faithful not because she lied, but in spite of her lying. She decided to lie because she believed that there was only one God, and that God was the God of the Israelites. He was the Sovereign, Most High God and so her life and actions and decisions were based on that belief. Dan Allender said at a conference once that each of us live with about 5 core beliefs. He said these beliefs are often tacit, but that we often hold these beliefs truer than God. I'm beginning to think that since our beliefs are what drive our behavior, our beliefs are our god (not to be confused with God). So, part of the journey is asking ourselves what beliefs we hold truer than God. This is scary. If we ask, we might find out. If we find out, we might have to make changes, we might have to confront ourselves.

And another thought: I’m not so sure there was anything extraordinarily significant about Rahab…she was one of us…that’s the point, too.