Is it easy to follow God?

Is it easy to follow God? I think that depends on how much God you're actually following. I have observed a peculiar behavior from some, where the Bible is taken to a sieve, and any part of it that would make someone uncomfortable would be sifted out. What remains is a politically correct, albeit watered-down, version of God. A version of God that will tell you whatever you want to hear and that lives for you. A version of God that is butterflies and rainbows. A version of God that is easy to follow. Why are these thoughts peculiar? Because they are far from the truth that God wants us to have. If you remove parts of the Bible you are removing God's intentions for the world and for you. In fact, you're missing out on something.

The idea of being challenged by the Bible is not a new one. In fact, a man approached Jesus believing that he had it all together- he had kept all the commandments. Jesus then told the man something he didn't want to hear:

Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Matthew 19:21 ESV)

What did this young, rich man do when he heard the Truth of God, straight out of the mouth of Christ? He left in sorrow, because he had so many possessions. Like this man, it is easy for us to get out of scripture only what seems relevant to ourselves, and to dismiss the rest as irrelevant, mistranslated, or metaphorical. The man in the verse thought that knowing God was only about keeping the Commandments, but it was quickly pointed out to him that there was more to it than that. He found out that in order to know the real God, not one just invented for his own reality, he must dig deeper. A God that has been sifted and watered-down is not the God of reality, not the God who promises eternal life, treasure and everlasting joy, but a false, shallow god. To have the true God means to take God in full, down to the core. It is imperative that we embrace all of God through the Scriptures and not hold back.

Can we really know God? More on this next post.