If not Him then who?

My friend Megan grew up in a small town in Georgia. She has the best southern accent and sometimes her colloquialisms leave us teasing her for months. Megan is the subject of my earlier post Crazy Love As Megan, or Meggo as I have affectionately named her, works out her faith we have interesting conversations. They expand and grow us, and together we work out the great mysteries of Jesus. It's a blessing beyond measure to get to do that with her.

Megan is smart and precocious. She doesn't take things because you say so, she has to figure it out for herself. It's one of my favorite things about her. She is a wise woman who runs very deep and I believe she is going to change her part of the world. Wednesday night, once home from church, she and I were chatting online when she asked me if there were unforgiveable sins. She always brings me the easy ones! She had seen a TV preacher speaking about suicide and it being a forgivable sin, but using the Lord's name in vain was not. I explained through my experience with being a Christian God forgives us when we ask and as long as we forgive others. His grace is unmerited therefore; there isn't much we could do to forsake that love – if anything as far as I have read thus far. I also explained my interruption on the latter. The Lord's name in vain is less about the actual use of his name in common conversation and more about the misappropriation of his name to back something.

A church member walking into an abortion clinic in the name of Jesus is severely misappropriating the name of Jesus. Anyone who truly knows, believes, and follows the character of Jesus, it has never revealed anything but limitless grace and mercy to our feeble, broken humanness which tries to rip each other apart in response to our separation from the father.

I told Megan I didn't love all TV preachers and talked about interpretation. I talked about the religious leaders in Jesus day who presumed to know better the aspects of God as they interpret God as they are and not as he actually is. She responded that it was like a fairy tale, the bible was. Something you had to "swim through and come up with your own ideas of what is really being said. I struggle with that." I agreed with her. It is hard to figure it all out. There is mystery and A+B doesn't always = C. I explained the bible saying we must study it for ourselves and come to our own revelations about God and his character and that he is good.

In the end for me it came down to a choice in the midst of the doubt. Did I believe that God was real, relevant, and had his character shown itself to be good? I tried to make all the equations add up in the midst of my doubt in the beginning, but I couldn't. I just knew God's character had revealed and powerfully moved in my life in a way, though I couldn't explain it all, I couldn't deny its validity in my life either. So I chose - and in the end if it wasn't real it left me feeling even more lonely and lost. As I continued to choose God he revealed more and more about his character, who he is and how good he is. Despite everything he has great plans for me. Who else is saying that about me? Not my haters that's for sure!

Just that simple truth: I have great plans for you, changes everything. In the simple sentence there is hope, truth, life, and freedom. He stepped up for me in a way no one ever had or could ever do. He let me doubt his character and proved it even more just make sure I understood how deeply his love was for me. He showed me he is my greatest fan, my sweetest lover, and infallibly real and genuine.

If you doubt today in the character of God, know its ok and its normal. We all have to work out our doubt, but let today be the last time you let it keep you from getting to know his character even more. He wants you to understand him and live in the security he provides. Be encouraged to know your doubt solidifies his goodness and offers proof that he's doing something in you. You're growing love, be encouraged you are on track and you are not the only one. Megan will confirm it for you!

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