God-in-a-Box?

By Bob Gerow

We’ve all heard it. Many of us have used it. Most of us think we know what it means. “It” is the leadership buzzword of our day: “Out of the box.” It even came up our recent planning for a pastor’s conference! Oddly, and perhaps a bit irreverently, the question was posed this way. “What does it mean to let God out of the box?”

Being somewhat analytical, my first response was to ask what the “box” was. My conclusion was that the “box” is the awkward combination of what we theologically hold to be true about God, and the understanding of God that our behavior betrays. We preach a correct theology about God, but we live with a God of our own making.

The dangers that accompany such divided loyalties are subtle. We hardly notice that imploring God’s favor soon becomes a hope that things will go our way. Divine comfort easily becomes a salve to address our felt needs. We grow comfortable with the assumption that the will of God will always be suitable to our temperament and interests. We embrace God’s promises as cozy reassurances that fit the ups and downs of our days. Rather than embracing the Giver on His own terms, we have unwittingly re-crafted Him into a source of “all that we think we need.” We have limited God by making Him useful and manageable. We have designed a theologically correct, but false, image of God, and have become idolaters!

(Don’t tune me out. I’m not exempt. I’m speaking to myself as well!)

I found a quote from J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) that describes our condition: “True faith does not depend merely on the state of man's head and understanding, but on the state of his heart. His mind may be convinced. His conscience may be pricked. But so long as there is anything the man secretly loves more than God, there will be no true faith. The man himself may be puzzled and wonder why he does not believe. He does not see that he is like a child sitting on the lid of his box and wishing to open it, but not considering that his own weight keeps it shut.”* What I find is that the “box” does not enclose God; it encloses me and is of my own making!
So, how do I pry open the box that encloses me? If you’ve read Isaiah 40:18-31, the next verse provides the first answer: “Be silent before me …” (41:1).

The first thing I need to do is to let God speak on His own terms. I must quit trying to describe Him only in terms I can manage or grasp. If His ways and thoughts are higher than mine (Isa. 55:8-9), who am I to try to comprehend Him fully?

Consider also Ecclesiastes 5:2: “God is in heaven; you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Or Isaiah 30:15, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” What about Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” I once asked my seminary professor about the Hebrew in that verse. His response was to quote his then four-year-old son, who rendered it: “Don’t Move! Don’t you know that I’m GOD?”

So, the silence is not just about who speaks, but about getting out of His way! God must be allowed to be who He is and do what He does without my input! The agenda, it appears, is all about Him! He needs no help from me. Look at the second part of that verse in Psalms: “Be still! Know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations!” (46:10).

Once again, this sentiment is not without parallel in Scripture. God had been frustratingly silent, yet Job’s bitter complains are met with: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me!” (Job 38:2-3). God never answered Job’s questions. Job himself never sees the whole picture. But he does see God on God’s own terms, and steps out of the way to let God be God.
What does this have to do with your daily work and mine? A lot of leadership is about describing the future, and challenging people to go there. It’s not about doing all the work, but about making sure the important work gets done.

Push open the lid of your box, and step out into the presence of God as He really is. Let your own heart, and the hearts of the people whom you shepherd, get a glimpse of a future that none of us can fully fathom. You can’t create a sunset, but you can call attention to it for others to enjoy with you. You can’t possibly define, predict, manage or comprehend God, but your life and ministry can certainly point in that direction so that others can stare in wonder with you.
Life can be frustrating and messy. The God you serve can seem shrouded in silence and mystery, and His providences can appear to be marshaled against you. You may not get many of the answers you hope for. You may have a plateful that seems impossible to manage.

Stepping out of the box can be a risky business. You feel you have turf to protect, but see it slipping away. God As He Is inspires fear and wonder. He can be frightening! As C. S. Lewis noted, Aslan, after all, “is NOT safe, but He is GOOD!”
What a sunset!

Robert H. (Bob) Gerow, M.Div., is an administrator in AMG’s Development Office and oversees Pulpit Helps.

*www.studylight.org, February 14, 2007.