By Keith Little

Replace “God” and the pronouns in these sentences for subjects (health, physics, grace, certain definitions, psychology, communication, cultures, character, language, etc.) and different people as you are led to think these questions over based on situational things you are facing. Whether or not you are a Christian this is a good exercise to understand where we all sit in regards to truth, love, empathy, grace, and maturity.

Objective vs. Subjective Truth

• Is God subjective, or based on what I currently know?
• Does God change based on what I think of Him?
• Does God change based on how I feel or perceive Him as good or bad?
• Does God change even if I choose to ignore Him or what he says?
• Does God change even if I believe He does not exist?
• Is it me who is under God, or God who is under me?
• Does God bless me through things of the earth, or beyond this life through by what I do with what I know?
• Can I truly know if someone else is following God correctly, and is it necessary to?

Different Paths (Vocations) Towards Holiness

• Is my path different with God based on what is in front of me?
• Will someone else have the same experience with God based on them being on a different path with Him, or being uniquely gifted and facing unique challenges?
• Is it good for me to force how I see someone’s path with God is, and what good can come from it?
• If I wanted someone to talk to me about God, when they may believe they may believe God is evil and people who believe in Him are evil, how would I want to be approached?
• Has it ever been received well by me or anyone I know, when someone seeks to leverage that I agree with how they see God or else?

Be Open to Seeking Truth Daily

• Can it be at times, that even the experts on God, will make mistakes or still need to learn more?
• Does calling someone who seeks to do their best before God a hypocrite because they are also struggling, really helpful? Have I never struggled with God, even as I may learn something new about Him I did not before?
• If there were situational reasons that I was not able to obey God as I would have liked to, (such as go to church for a time because you had unique pressures that needed you attention), is it right to be upset at myself or for others to of me for perhaps not being able to do so?
• If people don’t know of God and how knowing Him is so great for us, does getting upset that others don’t know Him or don’t desire to learn about Him help them or us in any way? Is loving people despite where they are at with God, more effective when people are wanting to talk to someone about Him?
• Do people need to agree with how I see God before I will love them?
• Am I only willing to forgive people who are willing to change as I believe they should before God as I see Him?
• Isn’t it wise for me to put a boundary up for myself, when someone or something is hindering my relationship with God?

Divine Truth is Revealed Gradually

• If the person I go to to learn about God in my life, is working through something with God in their own, does that mean that they could not be a creditable source of information? Am I a creditable source of information on my own expertise, even though I may never know everything about it?
• Is God something that we should expect people to know all about right away, or do we all need time to learn more as we go through life?
• If I only care about my neighbor when I see them following God as I believe they should, how can I expect them to care for me when I may not follow God as they believe I should?
• Is God what is most important in my life?
• If I died tomorrow, would what I see as God be the most important thing to leave those who I have shared God with, and is there surety that God will be eternal?

Remove the Log from Your Eye First

• Will people speak poorly about God because I chose to say that you should not care about people who do not see God the same way I do?
• If someone is mad about a situation and blame God, is it that they are truly mad at me if I get in the cross-hairs of having that past situation placed upon me with them now?
• If someone is angry or upset about how they see God, is it more effective to speak directly to them about the situation, love them through it, ask questions to help them figure it out on their own, or justify ignoring them?
• If someone is angry about how they blame God for x,y,z, in their life, does seeking a way to justify to yourself and others in ignoring those people truly helpful? Would I desire similar treatment given the reversed roles? Is it not better to simply accept that I may not reach them or be gifted to do so?

Be Consistent in Our Actions and Faith

• Do I treat my relationship with God as I believe others should given the situation?
• Do I believe that if I ignore God, that God will not eventually come back to haunt me?
• Has there ever been a time in my life where I did not know God as well, or need grace?
• Is it more effective to be as God would have us and love each other, or cast judgment on how others are not being effective for God?
• If others are not doing well with God now, does casting judgment on them help them focus on the problem or the solution?
• If given the choice, would I seek to have a good relationship with God and see Him as beneficial to mankind? Are those who have a relationship with God now perfect people, or are they more optimal?
• Is it possible to be a perfect person according to God or me? Do I hold myself to that same standard? Is it reasonable to hold anyone to it or do we all need grace?
• Is it ever possible that I can be wrong in how I see God now?

Our View is Limited

A man can display perfect love and maturity and will never have perfect wisdom or insight. We can never see beyond our own two eyes and know what we cannot.

Always be mindful of who you believe God is, and how you might justify expecting perfection from people you disagree with or don’t like, and asking for grace for yourself and those you do like or know better. None of us are perfect people in this world, and never could be.