Feeling God About Yourself: In the Struggle of Life

Is religion growing irrelevant, even destructive? Is it failing to keep pace with a civilization and cultures changing at such speed that today's norms of behavior seem diametrically opposed to those prescribed in the unchanged and unchanging messages of ancient religion and Scripture-at least, the messages as they have long been interpreted? And what about tomorrow's norms?Why is religion not evolving in step with our accelerating understanding of the universe through science, and with the societal changes (same-sex marriage, for instance) that result? Does it misrepresent God by failing to interpret Scriptures in the cultural, social, scientific, and technological contexts of the times?Is religion ignoring the divine, sacred, and eternal values of a divine, sacred, and eternal God, in favor of worldly, profane, and ephemeral values? Some preachers (and most marketers) assure you, for instance, that you deserve everything, from washing machines to diamonds to boat cruises to feeling good about yourself. But what if you stole the diamond? What if you are a mass murderer? No matter what you are, why should you deserve to feel good about yourself?Whether you deserve to feel good about yourself or not, the feeling might bring some lukewarm joy to your allotted three score and ten. But what then? What about the eternal bliss promised thereafter by religion? They say all you have to do is to accept and follow their interpretations of God's Word. But if you start to doubt and think outside their politically and piously pristine pews and pagodas, then get ready for life outside the box when they throw you out.Why should you doubt their interpreta6ons of God's Word?-Because Scripture is not the source of specific answers about how to live life. Its-God's-real purpose is to confront you with the really important existen6al questions and show you where to turn for answers. The direction in which to turn is inwards, toward your true self.If you do this with honesty and humility, you might not feel all that good about what you discover. You will find yourself, like Jacob, wrestling with God. The struggle will be bruising and painful, but the outcome will be a win-win: A win for you in discovering your true self, and a win for God in having His beloved child home again.