Who Owns God?

Who Owns God??

Judaism’s most sacred prayer, The Shema, records the words of Deuteronomy 6:4. In this verse, the Scriptures teach that God is One. There have been thousands of pages on commentary on this verse, from Christian, Muslim and Jewish sources alike. It would be hard to address them all, so I am choosing to pick one segment of the verse.

Early on in the development of Christianity, as early as the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, the church fathers recorded that in their opposition to the heretics (at this point of Christian history, anyone that disagreed with them qualified as a heretic), the heretics would often mention the theological and liturgical differences among the proto-orthodoxy. This, according to the heretics of the day, was proof of their lack of knowledge in God. One God would not subscribe to so many diverse teachings and practices.

At the same time, Marcion was propagating a two-god theory suggesting that the God of the Hebrews was an inadequate deity and the God of Jesus was getting the show back together again. While Marcion was eventually thrown out of his bishop office, his teachings engrained a part of Christian history we live with to this day. We know that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He is Master and Creator, He is Ultimate and Final Authority, but today’s diverse teachings and debates about God lead us to this question: Who owns God?

Think of it like this: many of us have been to Disneyland or Disneyworld (this is not a shameless plug) and probably have every kind of story to tell about our experiences inside the Magic Kingdom. Regardless of our combined experiences or beliefs about the Disney operation, who claims to have spoken with Walt Disney directly? Who goes on to tell others what Walt Disney said and as a result, what you should think or believe about Walt Disney? My point is this; teaching what you believe about God is one thing, teaching for Him is another. No one religion, no one teacher, doctrine or system of beliefs has the right or the ability to speak for God. We do not own God, He does not answer to us. He can choose to keep us around for a thousand years or He can end it tonight. That is what makes Him God.

Even more distressing is the fact we did not learn much from our early goings, another looming question sits upon the philosophical horizon. Are religious people, of any stripe, happier? Are they more fulfilled? Are they less judgmental and more committed to acts of social justice? Are they truly pictures of their founders, say for example in our case, are we really like Jesus?
Religion by in large, is a system of beliefs. It teaches what it believes, gathers followers and conducts its business. But that is not where the problem lies. The problem is the open and aggressive attacks on all other forms of religions that place God on “sides”. Here is the news flash of the day: God is not on anyone’s side. He has no favorites and does not play games to garner attention to Himself. He wrote a book (several actually) to give us what we needed to find Him. He is not hiding or requiring secret gnosis to figure it out. The Spiritual Universe is ready, if not commanded, to give us the answers we seek.

God is God over everyone, not just the chosen or the few. He records His will as wanting all to come to repentance and none perish. Your ethnicity, your age, your intellect or your sexual preference does not exclude you from a relationship with God. Judgmental and ill-informed religious pundits seeking a self-preserving agenda… they have their requirements.
It breaks down quite simply. God’s nature is to share, to invest, so He created us with a desire to receive. The plan is that ultimate fulfillment is available to us when we receive from God with the desire to share with others.

When we receive for the sake of ourselves only, we create chaos in our lives, which eventually spills out into all the areas of our existence.
God, in His Highest Wisdom, chose people to invest in. He did not choose buildings, religions, denominations, or a system of beliefs. He chose you and He chose me. Then, He gives us the opportunity to join Him on the greatest mission of all time: Repairing the World and bringing His will to earth as it is in Heaven.

God created you to love you, invest in you and make you a partner with Him. His love is not generated as a response to how well you can answer Biblical Trivia questions, but it is generated by His desire to give. He wants to know you on a personal level. Here are three suggestions to help you connect with His desires for you and not the corporation…
1) Have certainty that He exists and wants you in His life. The starting point of any meaningful relationship is trust, not love. The Scriptures teach, “Those that come to God, must first come believing that He is…” Love comes later. Start with certainty and watch Him bring His Light to your life.

2) Stop listening and start learning. I agree that fellowship and teaching in a corporate environment is beneficial, but it cannot be the end. Ask questions of your leaders. Answers like “Because it is written” are not acceptable. This is a relationship and partnership with God. He expects us to ask questions and challenge thoughts. Your spiritual path is yours and should not be determined solely by your participation in a liturgical calendar.

3) Live a life that reflects your beliefs and discoveries about God and not a pre-programmed system of responses. Share with people what God has done in your life, where you used to be and where you are now. Let them see the path to God is attainable. Show them the Light in your life and help them on their way. Remember, we are partners with God in repairing this world.
Stop reading books about how the world is going to end and start living a life that can change the ending for one person at a time. It is time to end the reign of the self-appointed and self-anointed and seek God and His Kingdom.

David Fournier
Senior Instructor-Restoring Grace