Our Contrarian God

            Contrary to human wishes, God’s ways are rarely what we naturally want.  Why? Because His ways are far beyond our understanding.  When we first experience God’s ways as opposed to our own, we are offended.  We all want a God whose ways sync with what we want.  As you grow closer to God, you begin to discover that His contrarian ways bring you what your soul most needs even if it is the very thing you are attempting to avoid.  When you open your soul to God’s contrarian ways over and over, you begin to gain confidence in His ways.

            If it is possible to explain, I would say that Paul explains it best in Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor
Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

God is clear that His ways are different.  He doesn’t hide this about Himself.  He clearly explains His contrarian ways.  He tells us that we will lose our lives unless we hate our lives (John 12:25).  Foolishness is the way of God.  1 Corinthians 1:18 says: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  He is almost saying that you cannot be a Christian unless you are living in a way that is counter to the wisdom of the world.  When you are going with God, you are going against the trend.

Do you feel like a stranger in this world?  Do people wonder about you?  If they don’t, why not? 

It doesn’t come down to simply doing the opposite of what you want to do.  Perhaps there is no more poignant contrarian way than the way God has chosen to save this broken, messed up world.  Jesus even wondered if there was another way besides the way God chose.  God chose to do the most contrarian act of all when He asked His very own sinless Son to lay down His life through the shame of the cross.  On the eve of this most absurd way of God, Jesus Himself begged God three times for another way from the Garden of Gethsemane.  The second member of the Trinity acknowledges that God’s ways are contrary!  Still he accepted God’s contrarian way with joy (Hebrews 12:2).

            Loving God helps you become willing to completely embrace something you would not naturally embrace. 

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