Rose-colored glasses

Disclaimer: there are no pictures for this post... just words.

I have a pair of rose-colored glasses that I like to put on when I think about the Lord. These glasses let me see Him the way I think He should be. I put them on particularly when I'm uncomfortable and don't understand what my brothers and sisters are doing in His name. Don't they have a pair of glasses too? With them on, I can make excuses for what I don't understand and I can justify my way through anything. Problem solved.

I have a dear friend who went through a blessed season in her life where God was teaching her what it meant to be fearful of Him. She graciously let me and another friend dissect just a piece of that with her. The conclusion of that conversation was this: God is greater that I am.

What if (bear with me) the things you believe about God are wrong? I am excluding things like Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He died for our sins and was raised again to fullness of life. This is NOT wrong. I'm talking about how often we mistake comfort and tradition for truth. I say this because I am guilty of this religious bondage. I am surrounded by religion. I practice religion. I worship religion. I have hindered the exact work that Jesus came to Earth to do. Jesus did not come to make a new law. He came to fulfill the old one and establish a church, His bride, to live freely, abundantly, and joyfully to reciprocate His passionate, HUGE love for us. Do my beliefs about Him reflect this purpose? Would I see Him differently if I took off my glasses?

The fundamental question to get down to the root of the problem is "Who do I think God is?" Some may say He's a tyrant and just likes to keep a thumb on everything. Others may say He's happy-go-lucky and as long as you act good, you're a-okay. And then others believe He is hands-off but He expects you to "just do what is right and hope for the best." But I think most are a combination of these (not in the extreme sense), mix in what we know about Jesus and his love, and you have a formula that equals "HUH?!" At least that's how it has been for me. HOWEVER, God forsaw this before you were formed, and had a plan to send part of Himself to live inside of us. His name is Holy Spirit.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come" John 16:13

All the truth... God has given us His power, presence and personality to discern who He is. We have it! I don't have to scratch my head, furrow my brow, or put on my rose-colored glasses to figure Him out. His life is already flowing through me.

Back to my short story about my friend and fear of the Lord. Because God is greater than I am, I can trust fully in who He is. And He has sent His Spirit to teach me, to erase the inhibitions I've had, to break the bonds of religious behavior, and to free me up to walk in a manner that causes people to look over the top of their rose-colored glasses and ask, "Who do I think God is?"

Father, free us up. Our rose-colored glasses are heavy and our heads ache from doing this by ourselves. Baptize us with Your Spirit as You said You would. Give us courage to trust in You, the Almighty.