Sometimes God Has a Better Idea by Rick Warren, May 21, 2014, www.rickwarren.org
Sometimes? Only sometimes? Really?? Is he serious? Think about that one. Doesn't Pastor Rick know that God's ways are above our ways? Ideas, thoughts, plans,... "whatever" the issue at hand, God is always "better". God is holy, perfect and righteous, and true.
Isaiah 55:8- 9 reads, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Perhaps you like that title. After all, Rick is certainly getting people's attention with a comment that affirms people and gives them the idea that they are filled with good ideas most of the time. They read this and can digest it so much easier than any notion of needing to repent.... because they like hearing that they are almost, but not quite, as smart and wise as God. "Sometimes, God has a better idea," then they do.
Rick is twisting and changing the scriptures. He is not telling us that God's ideas are always higher, and always better. He is not telling people that they must repent of evil an turn to God. Instead he uses the scriptures in order to tell you what he thinks you want to hear, but his agenda is not to give you salvation from your sin or to help you hear and know God, instead the point of it all is to get you listening to and thinking like, Rick Warren.
To do that, (according to Rick) "have the proper attitude:"
"James 4 tells us the proper attitude to have: "Now listen you who say 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money.' Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. ... Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
Rick is reading from the book of James, and he is rightly reading from a translation, not a paraphrase like he often does. Rick then takes the opportunity to interpret that passage of scripture, for us. He says,
Isaiah 55:8- 9 reads, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Perhaps you like that title. After all, Rick is certainly getting people's attention with a comment that affirms people and gives them the idea that they are filled with good ideas most of the time. They read this and can digest it so much easier than any notion of needing to repent.... because they like hearing that they are almost, but not quite, as smart and wise as God. "Sometimes, God has a better idea," then they do.
Rick is twisting and changing the scriptures. He is not telling us that God's ideas are always higher, and always better. He is not telling people that they must repent of evil an turn to God. Instead he uses the scriptures in order to tell you what he thinks you want to hear, but his agenda is not to give you salvation from your sin or to help you hear and know God, instead the point of it all is to get you listening to and thinking like, Rick Warren.
To do that, (according to Rick) "have the proper attitude:"
"James 4 tells us the proper attitude to have: "Now listen you who say 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money.' Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. ... Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"
Sometimes God Has a Better Idea by Rick Warren, May 21, 2014, www.rickwarren.org
Rick is reading from the book of James, and he is rightly reading from a translation, not a paraphrase like he often does. Rick then takes the opportunity to interpret that passage of scripture, for us. He says,
"James is saying it's OK to make plans, but just realize that ultimately God has the final word..."
Is James here saying, "It's okay to make plans?" (Or did Rick just paraphrase that?) Did James write anything about God having "the final word?"
Rick, believe it or not, was giving you a "switcher-roo." Rick is not being honest with the text.
He mentioned nothing about a change in you thinking... nothing about you desiring to be in the will of God, about changing your way of thinking from doing what you want and think is best, to looking to God's direction, leading and even unto him giving you the ability to do what you do. Nope. Rick tells you that "James" says, "it's okay to make plans,: (go ahead, made your own plans,) just be sure to realize that "ultimately, God has the final word." And note who God is made out to be.... for Rick makes it sound like God, with his "final Word" will be a bit heavy-handed with you in the end.
Rick can help you with this though.... He will tell you the "right attitude" to have:
"The right attitude is to always keep your plans submitted to God. Make your plans but say, "God, if this is what You want, this is the direction I'm going to go. I'm doing this with flexible faith."
(Unfortunately it's a wrong attitude. Rick explains God as some kind of a taskmaster who demands you submission, meanwhile he has you :telling" God what you will and will not do.)
Do you suppose that God is bound to be impressed with you when you "tell" him how you will be doing what you think he wants you to do, with "flexible faith."
Is this concept of a faith that is flexible, even in the Bible? "Faith is to be unwavering, (Hebrews 10:23) (not variable depending upon a circumstance.)One can Have "great Faith" (Matthew 8:10) In fact, no matter how big or small a faith your faith may be as anytime, faith is faith and even a little can do great things. (Luke 17:6) You either have faith in God, or you don't. (Mark 4:40) "Flexible faith might be a great sounding concept to you, but it is only a fine sounding concept that Rick simply made up.
Believing that you need to have "flexible faith" is the kind of thing that will allow your once immovable, unshakable faith in God to be reshaped. Neither yes or no, neither hot nor cold, you r faith will be "flexible" and you will develop that uncanny ability, like Rick, to shape shift your faith and your words, in every crowd.
This comes about by realizing how great you are.. how great your ideas, and dreams "really"
are... while of course being willling to recognize that "Sometimes: God has a better idea." But if you keep going down this path of thinking, then before long, you will think yourself quite complete... rich, increased with goods, in need of nothing, (knowing not that you are wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked... completely in need of God. )
Jesus has some words for all of us on this matter:
(Unfortunately it's a wrong attitude. Rick explains God as some kind of a taskmaster who demands you submission, meanwhile he has you :telling" God what you will and will not do.)
Do you suppose that God is bound to be impressed with you when you "tell" him how you will be doing what you think he wants you to do, with "flexible faith."
Is this concept of a faith that is flexible, even in the Bible? "Faith is to be unwavering, (Hebrews 10:23) (not variable depending upon a circumstance.)One can Have "great Faith" (Matthew 8:10) In fact, no matter how big or small a faith your faith may be as anytime, faith is faith and even a little can do great things. (Luke 17:6) You either have faith in God, or you don't. (Mark 4:40) "Flexible faith might be a great sounding concept to you, but it is only a fine sounding concept that Rick simply made up.
Believing that you need to have "flexible faith" is the kind of thing that will allow your once immovable, unshakable faith in God to be reshaped. Neither yes or no, neither hot nor cold, you r faith will be "flexible" and you will develop that uncanny ability, like Rick, to shape shift your faith and your words, in every crowd.
This comes about by realizing how great you are.. how great your ideas, and dreams "really"
are... while of course being willling to recognize that "Sometimes: God has a better idea." But if you keep going down this path of thinking, then before long, you will think yourself quite complete... rich, increased with goods, in need of nothing, (knowing not that you are wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked... completely in need of God. )
Jesus has some words for all of us on this matter:
" I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
