Saturday, September 6, 1997

God has proved a trustworthy friend

By Joy Thompson

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

LONG BEACH, Calif. - I was recently reminded of a speech I gave to a group of teen-agers at a local high school earlier this year, and the question, which formed the topic, was provocative: Why do I still love God as an adult? My answer: Because he has proved a trustworthy friend all these years.

Implied in the question is the idea that religion is for kids; a child-like faith is something one eventually outgrows; and mature adults don't need God. But as adults, we can underestimate our needs and overestimate our talents and capabilities.

Children do outgrow their intense need for others, and that to a degree this is a healthy and good thing. The more children grow and know, the more they start relying on themselves. They begin to act and think independently. They begin to forge their own destinies.

And this - growth and maturity - is expected. In fact, it's a shame we see so little of it in today's society. People do not want to take responsibility for their decisions and actions. They blame others for their mistakes. They are quick to excuse themselves from the table of accountability.

However, there are times in our adult lives when we encounter situations and events that make us feel as vulnerable as children. These include illnesses, tragedies or the persistent, nagging sense that our life lacks real purpose and direction. Perhaps it is that the purpose and direction we have chosen for our lives fail to fulfill, and we are left feeling empty inside. Or it could be that the people we've trusted to give our lives meaning - spouses, children, friends - have let us down. It wasn't necessarily their intention to hurt us. They just turned out to be like us - human.

Why do I still love God as adult? Because I find that even as an adult I need someone bigger and greater than this human. I need someone greater than my family and friends. I need someone greater than Congress, the presidency and the courts. I need someone I can truly trust.

I trust God because I trust what the Bible says about him. I understand that trusting the Bible is a huge leap for some people. In fact some scholars have it their life work to debunk its authenticity. One of those men was Josh McDowell. He attempted to write his college thesis disproving the foundations of Christianity. In the end, he became a Christian and the author of several scholarly books defending the Bible and its claims.

The Bible is a lot more reliable than some would have you think. My biggest problem with it is that too few people know how to teach from it accurately. If you want to learn about God, you have to study the Bible and apply it to your life. Then you learn that God is good. One of the first things I learned about God in the Bible is that God doesn't lie.

I Samuel 15:29 says that God, "does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." (NIV)

We've all been lied to and about. People have changed their minds and hurt our feelings. Friends have broken promises. But God promises never to let you down, and I found, that even as an adult, I need someone like that in my life.

Having someone in my life that I can trust gives me the freedom to dream. My favorite scripture in the entire Bible is Jeremiah 29:11, which says, " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " We all had dreams as children. Dreams of occupations and accomplishments. Then as we grew up and got bogged down with life's particulars, many of us let go of those dreams - little by little - until all was left was a string of duties and responsibilities. The colorful balloons of hope and vision had taken off for the sky.

Since becoming a Christian nine years ago, I have watched God replace those lost dreams in my life. Realizing those dreams have been difficult, though. Those balloons can only be secured by a childlike faith. And I'm still growing in this area. You could say I'm experiencing a second childhood as an adult. But with God as my Father, I believe I'm getting the best upbringing possible.

(Joy Thompson is an editorial writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. You can write to her at 604 Pine Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90844.)

(c) 1997, Press-Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.).

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