“We can’t move forward unless we also confront the false narratives we have about God and allow him to tell us the truth. Dallas Willard says we always live what we believe; we just don’t always live what we profess we believe.”- Emily P. Freeman
“Never believe anything bad about God.”- Dallas Willard
In Chapter 4 (“Picture God”) of The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman speaks of one giant, foundational conversation we need to have before moving forward. As a result, we must talk about the fact that what we believe about God informs all aspects of our lives. And that includes our decisions.
For all of us, Mrs. Freeman asserts, a gap exists between what we say we believe and what we actually believe. No one’s exempt. For example, if we believe God is:
- mad at us, we’ll walk on eggshells, lest we make a wrong move and He snaps
- distant, we feel alone and untethered in our decision-making
- indifferent, we feel He most likely doesn’t care what happens one way or the other
In conclusion, Emily relates that Mrs. George A. Paull once wrote a poem called Do the Next Thing over 122 years ago. As you carry your decisions with you and confront your own false narratives of God, Emily encourages you to use this poem as your prayer. Furthermore, imagine God walking with you, kindly inviting you to release the burden of your decision into His care. Therefore, here is one verse from the poem:
“Many a questioning, many a fear,/ Many a doubt, hath it’s quieting here./ Moment by moment, let down from heaven,/ Time, opportunity, and guidance are given./ Fear not tomorrow, child of the King;/ Trust them with Jesus: Do the next thing.”
Today’s question: What false narratives about God must you confront? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A faint vision of things – look for arrows”