The past few weeks I’ve spent perhaps too many hours of my time embroiled in serious trash talk on Facebook. It was NBA playoff season. Need I say more? Lebron James, affectionately called King James, is one of my favorite basketball players. Physically, he is a beauty to behold. A man of his size is […]
The past few weeks I’ve spent perhaps too many hours of my time embroiled in serious trash talk on Facebook. It was NBA playoff season. Need I say more?
Lebron James, affectionately called King James, is one of my favorite basketball players. Physically, he is a beauty to behold. A man of his size is perhaps better suited to the clashing associated with American football. Nevertheless, he’s managed to carry all of this to the basketball court and when he hits the paint, he’s simply unstoppable. Still, Lebron has yet to leave the mark that many, like me, expected him to leave.
On Friday evening as the Golden State Warriors beat the Cavs on their own court to move to a very favorable 3–1 lead, I shook my head.
I shook my head because for another year I felt that Lebron James had disappointed me. I shook my head because for another year I felt like the King had not shown up.
I shook my head because I knew that for the rest of the night, I was about to be the recipient of some of the most scathing taunts by friends and acquaintances who simply couldn’t stand Lebron James.
Just as I expected, the taunts came in.
One.
By.
One.
One of the taunts encouraged me to turn away from Lebron because he had been such a disappointment; such a letdown. To this, I responded that he was still King in my palace. My loyalty to this man that I’d NEVER met was astounding.
And then it got me thinking. How do I behave when I find myself in a place where God doesn’t show up
Would my response carry the same brand of loyalty that it did when I spake of a mere human being?
I am in a season in my life where I am questioning many of the things that I had been taught about Christianity and God.
I’m in a season where I accept things exactly as they are.
I’m in a season where I’ve moved away from sugarcoating things for the sake of creating a more palatable pill out of the God that I serve.
I’ve learned to accept that no matter the outcome, he is God.
When I was growing up, I was told that God always shows up. He always answers. He’s always there. Yet, in my personal experience, I’ve sometimes felt that I was deserted. I’ve sometimes felt like God didn’t show up for me. I’ve learned that these feelings are valid. But I’ve also learned that there is something more important than these feelings. What’s even more important is how I deal with these feelings.
I’ve had experiences where I felt strongly that God had spoken to me and led me in a particular direction. I was so excited about these moments that I shared them. But the end result didn’t always match my expectations.
I’ve had experiences where people with lots of life left to live and lots of impact left to give were suddenly taken from me and I felt that I couldn’t justify God’s Kingship. In some of these moments, people taunted me and mockingly asked me, “Where is Your God?”
My responses weren’t always the right ones. But I’m conscious now. So in the state of my consciousness, I wonder: When people ask me, “Where is your God?” will I still stand boldly and declare that he is still the King of My Palace; still the King of My Heart?
My experience this playoff season has taught me to say, no matter the circumstance, that God is God. If I can still see the greatness in a mere man when time and time again he has not met my expectations how can I not teach myself to see the all-powerful, all-knowing God with these very same eyes?
How can I not teach myself to see God with these very same eyes when he is faithful to work out all things for my good?