When People Are Big And God Is Small

I've been harpooned lately in a beautiful way. It's because of God's grace through a man named Paul Matthies, and a book called, When People Are Big And God Is Small, by Ed Welch.

Paul recently left us for a while to serve the Lord in a different place, but before he went, I got to see a little of how he lives. On a farewell night we had for Paul at the church, my friend Geoff said something like this about Paul and to Paul:

"Several years ago we sat in a circle, and pleaded in prayer with God, for him to break of us self-addiction. It was a moving time of prayer and petition before the Lord. Paul, I can say that in watching you grow over these last few years, God has answered that prayer in you."

How true, and how wonderful to see God's faithfulness to his children. Since that night, this has been my prayer for me, my friends, and my church. I believe in a huge way, God is faithfully helping me with this through When People Are Big And God Is Small. I believe the absolute root of my self-addiction comes from not fearing and worshiping the Lord above all things and all people.

As Ed Welch points out, look at the prayers God chose to leave us with for eternity. See what these prayers ask God for. The first thing Jesus says as he teaches the disciples to pray is, "Father, Hallowed be your name." Hallowed means to be greatly revered and respected. To Hallow means to make Holy, to consecrate. Jesus, above all things, asks for God, His Father, to be Hallowed, to be greatly revered and respected. In the book of John, right before the Crucifixion, Jesus asks the Father to glorify him, so that the Father may be glorified. The Psalms record many prayers asking for God to be glorified in all the earth.

What I can't find so far, are prayers asking for God to give us someone to love us. Or for God to give us someone to love. Or for God to bless us with things. The only love I can find people asking for is God's steadfast love.

Too often I have found myself craving these things. I want them for myself. May that be taken from me, and anything else that would take away from God's glory. My self-addiction springs from a distorted view of the Father, and of myself.

Please father, smash the cup. Raise the mirror.