The God Machine?

What if you lost everything today?

What if your home, your family, and all of your possessions were suddenly swept away by hurricane force winds, storm surges and flood waters?

How would you react?

Would you collapse under the weight of your own grief; or, would you rage against the injustice of such soul crushing loss? How would you respond?

Would you find solace in God; or would you blame God?

If it were me in New Orleans, bereft and alone, I certainly wouldn't be praising God in the midst of my own agony and sorrow. I just wouldn't. I'm not sure what this says about me as a Christian, but I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't be singing, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."

I also know, that I am I'm sick to death of this gospel of health and prosperity that is being preached day in and day out in some of our Christian churches and on Christian television. Since when did God become some grand blessing machine with coin slots labeled "prayer", "faith", "trust" and "tithing"?

I think too many people truly believe that if you put a little faith in the God machine, a blessing will magically pop out! Yes indeed, if you just pray hard enough, trust long enough, have a little faith and tithe to your neighborhood church, the God machine will bless you with a big bank account, a gorgeous spouse, a beautiful home and healthy children.

I guess all those people who are suffering as a result of Hurricane Katrina didn't plug the God machine enough, did they?

Seriously folks, what if God's only blessing is the gift of Himself? Would Christ be enough?

I suspect if most American Christians were honest, the answer would have to be, "No, Christ is not enough for us. We want all those other "blessings" too!"

You see, we Americans tend to want the health and prosperity gospel more than we want the genuine relationship God invites each of us to experience through Christ Jesus. At best, we want our cake and to eat it too!

So, what's my point? I'm not sure. My thoughts and feelings are chaotic today.

I only know that I desire to lay down my own health and prosperity gospel* at the foot of the cross. I long for Christ to be at the center of my very being.

If everything I know and love were to vanish this very moment, would I be able to grieve, and to mourn, and in the end be able to say, "It is well, with my soul." ?

I don't know; but asking myself these things begs the more important question.

Is Christ be enough?

And to that I must say, "I honestly don't know, is he?"


*Manning introduces the gospel of health and prosperity in his book, "The Signature of Jesus". Credit should be given where credit is due...it's a marvelous phrase and an accurate assessement of what's being preached in too many religious arenas.