Not Safe
Many people have a real fear of finding out that God is real. At first glance this is very strange, because ignorance of a real God is possibly the worst of all alternatives (if He were not real, it wouldn’t matter whether we knew or not). Better to be informed.
But consider how God describes Himself: all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent, not bound by the laws of time or space, without equal or superior to limit Him. He is totally unrestrained except by His own character. Anything He wants to do will instantly become possible. If we anger Him, only His mercy can save us from destruction. If we please Him, it’s because He enabled us to do so.
God is completely beyond our control. He is consistent, though sometimes He is unpredictable and that can scare us. And in the minds of many, God is not safe. It calls to mind this exchange from Volume 1 of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, where Lucy inquires about the great lion, Aslan:
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Power is always dangerous. That’s practically the definition. If a thing doesn’t carry the danger of changing what’s around it, then it’s probably not very powerful. The more powerful something is, the more dangerous it is, and we must exercise more caution in using it. Think of tools as an example: if you’re not careful, you can cut yourself when using a hand saw. But if you’re careless with a power saw, you can do far more damage in a shorter amount of time. Alternatively, a power saw could help you build a house quicker. Greater power carries greater risk.
So when we consider God, who holds all power, it’s understandable that some people are frightened by the thought. “Then He isn’t safe?” they ask. “I thought God was loving and kind. What’s this talk about danger and risk?” And the answer is just as Mr. Beaver told Lucy: of course He isn’t safe. Maybe we can fool ourselves a good portion of the time, but the truth is that there is an inherent risk in involving yourself with the Almighty.
Doesn’t sound encouraging so far, does it? But there’s more to the answer! God is not safe – but He is good. You see, what we usually mean when we ask “is it safe?” is a different question entirely. What we really want to know is, “can I control what happens?” With God the only option is to give up control. His design is to change your life, and that wouldn’t happen if you were controlling it. But God is limited by His character. When we give up trying to control what He does, that doesn’t leave Him undirected: He already knew what He was doing! Maybe it’s uncomfortable sometimes, or even frightening, but based on His character we know that God can be trusted… even though He isn’t safe.
Very well put Mr. Phil!!
I love how you explained the relationship between power and danger. Very true.
mercy is between danger and love…He knows what He is doing.
Great insight. Another one that would serve well for an article in the local paper.