God cannot be trusted.
A subset of this one is - God doesn’t exist at all.
To buy either of these, one has to ignore the unbelievable world we live in, that we did not call ourselves into existence, and we each have an expiration date.
Everything lines up that God is real and trustworthy, and yet there is this little unsettling whisper in our ears that says things like:
You’re a fool.
A lot of people way smarter than you don’t believe in a God and their living incredible happy lives (according to tabloid accounts).
Besides, have you looked at some of the people who do believe in God?
By in large they are losers.
Belief in an invisible God who loves you and who will save you from death is a fairytale. It’s used to calm and manipulate the herd.
When we claim that God cannot be trusted, we are repeating the serpent’s lie in the garden at the very beginning of our story.
Often our pokes at God are simply a way of couching our disappointment that life is not turning out as we have hoped or expected.
Much of what happens to us is not our doing, this is true, but we do have some responsibility for a lot of it. We have made decisions we have regretted. Often to cover this up we are tempted to shift the blame to God. If he is so “All Powerful” why didn’t he do something?
Now let’s put on God Glasses and step back.
See that these speculative negative statements about God drive us further from him.
Also take a look at this statement about those who reject the existence of God found in Paul’s letter to believers in Rome.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
For what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to them.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.
So they are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:18-21 (ESV)
Wearing God Glasses we accept the above passage to be true. This is our starting point, but what is the result?
If we start by accepting the above passage as true it enables us to not only discern philosophical and theological errors but it shows us where they come from.
Conclusion
By trusting God we are better able to discern foolish thinking in ourselves and others. This is of inestimable value when trying to successfully navigate life.
This is of inestimable value when trying to successfully navigate life.
That should have been the last sentence.