Monday, October 6, 2008

Why?

My husband does something that just grates on my nerves: if there is a clean load of dishes in the dishwasher, he will put a dirty dish right along with them. If I haven't gotten a chance to putting the dishes away and he dirties a utensil or plate, he will put it in the dishwasher where it gets mixed up with the clean dishes! It just flies all over me. Why can't he see that those dishes are clean or at least go ahead and unload the dishwasher for me? I know that is a trivial example, but hang with me.

Have you ever wondered "Why doesn't God change so-in-so?" or "Why won't God answer my prayers for them to change?" I admit, I've prayed that prayer quite a few times. And I've even prayed it about myself, too.

Who can say why God makes us the way He does? He is the Potter and we are the clay. It is none of our business why He forms and fashions us the way He does. Not only do we question God about why He made us the way He did, we also question Him about why He made others the way they are.

Isaiah 45:9-11 says, "Woe to him who strives with his Maker! A worthless piece of broken pottery among other pieces equally worthless! Shall the clay say to him who fashions is, What do you think you are making? Or Your work has no handles? Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: would you question ME about things to come concerning My children, and concerning the work of My hands command me?"

As long as we argue with God and strive with our Maker, we are going to be unhappy. Once we accept God's will, then we can be used and blessed by Him and how He sees fit. In Romans 9:21, Paul asks, "Doesn't the potter have the right to take a lump of clay and make one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble or dishonorable use?" That does not mean dishonorable in God's eyes. It means dishonorable in the eyes of people who do not understand God's purpose and ways, those who think some people are more honorable and some work more important that others.

Why have to remember that as long as we function in the position God created for us, His grace is with us. I Corinthians 13:12 tells us that we know only "in part". That is the best answer we can find to the question of why God goes anything the way He does. It isn't our job to question God, or even try to explain Him. It is our job to trust and obey Him and to cast our cases and concerns upon Him.

4 comments:

Samantha said...

Because I have a nurturing personality, I have in the past had a hard time understanding a particular person in my life who has a very "get over yourself" nature. Though she is a Christian, I could not understand how she could at times be so harsh and seem not to care about people's needs and hurts. At one point God used these same scriptures and showed me that He gave me my gifts to fulfill His purposes in my life and the same was true with her. If we were made just the same we would not be able to meet DIFFERENT needs in other people.

Your post today blessed me. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

At least your husband puts dishes in the dishwasher. Mine just puts all of his dishes (with remaning food on them) and glasses in the sink. Then I have to go behind him to put them in the empty dishwasher. And it is soooo aggravating!

~neisha~ said...

this is a great example of how we are so often obsessed with trivial things and even go as far as to question God about them. I know I am very guilty! Thank you for posting this - it really spoke to me, especially in regards to my habit of questioning God. I agree with your explanation here, and I have made it my goal to focus on TRUSTING him without question in the future. Thank you for your perspective.

Anonymous said...

Barbarita: We came to visit your mom and she had your blog up and i read your blog "WHY" and here is a tip I read in Family Circle Magazine: This lady has the same problem you have and what she came up with was this: She got some magnetic tape and wrote DIRTY DISHES in one and CLEAN DISHES on the other so when she starts the load to be washed she sticks the CLEAN DISHES magnetic tape to your dish washer(on the metal part of it)and then when you unload the washer put the dirty dishes on the machine. And then your mom said he would read it and hopefully GET IT GET IT! we love ya!!!! sorry about the grammar .I am still learning!