Pizza or Providence?

When I first came to faith in Christ at age 22, I was attending a state university. There were no other Seventh-day Adventists I knew of in the entire 10,000 student body. My coworkers in the university’s geoarchaeology lab were all hard-core atheists. I was alone in my newfound faith, but it did not bother me to be part of the minority. I knew what I believed, and although it is the minority in this world, those who follow Christ are the majority in the universe! I was more convinced than ever that the Bible and the Adventist message were true. The peace I felt when I received Christ was unlike any joy I had ever experienced. Having spent enough of my life doing the opposite, I was excited about living a new life in Him. I felt deep satisfaction knowing that Jesus was my true friend who had pulled me out of a pit of despair. 

In my newfound passion for knowing God, I devoted a lot of time to prayer and personal Bible study. In fact, for seven to 10 hours each day during two years I would read, study, pray, or share my faith. It was incredibly transforming. I now realize that God divinely arranged that season of time and was preparing me for full-time ministry. The more time I spent with God, the more real His presence became in my daily life. Even with such a dynamic experience, though, many dangers that anyone can fall into still exist. We can have the most accurate theology with the best intentions and still be deceived by misguided emotions and impulses. 

Danger 1: False Sense of Inadequacy and Balance

Having traveled to numerous places, I have noticed that many people struggle with an unsatisfying balance in their relationship with God and wrestle with feelings of inadequacy about it. If they spend a certain amount of time doing devotions but think it is not enough, they feel guilty. If they spend more time in devotions while neglecting other duties, they also feel guilty. If they pray more and read less, they feel guilty, and the other way round.

Since those early Christian days I have rarely had the chance to spend such an extended, focused time with God. Being married, having children, managing additional responsibilities, and working full-time in ministry often prevent it. So the age-old question arises: How do we balance our relationship with God and everything else in life? How much is “enough”?

The answer is that we don’t balance our relationship with God with everything or anything else, but rather in everything else. Our walk with God is not a “slice of life’s pie.” It is the pie pan that holds the pie together. It is the anchor and truth through which everything else flows and is filtered. It should never be one of the highest priorities, because it must be the highest one. It is the only core value that gives us the divine power we need to live as God intended. Only a personal, intentional connection with Christ can fully fulfill God’s plan in our lives.

God does not want us to feel guilty over the quality of our relationship with Him, but rather to find joy and strength in it. So again, how much is enough?

Someone once shared with me one of the most meaningful answers to this question when I was struggling with the same issue. He said, “Don’t think about whether you have read or prayed for an hour or hours, or if you’ve covered a certain number of chapters just to check it off your list. Read and pray until you know you’ve been in the presence of God, that He has filled your heart, and that you have truly communed with Him. Praise and thank Him for everything He places on your heart. Be still and know that He is God. If you haven’t experienced that during your worship time, then stay until you do.” I was stunned. It’s not always about a specific amount of time to earn a badge (though we are wisely instructed that a thoughtful hour each day will benefit us).[1] As I practice this, it has never failed me.

Our walk with God is not a ‘slice of life’s pie.’ It is the pie pan that holds the pie together. It is the anchor and truth through which everything else flows and is filtered. It should never be one of the highest priorities, because it must be the highest one.

Simply put: Don’t rush it; embrace it. The one condition is: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). If you truly want to experience the fullness of fellowship with God, then seek Him more than anything else in this life. If you don’t, the veil of that idol will blind your heart to what God wants to give you. We need daily doses of devotion toward God, not temporary top-offs. If you need to spend more time with God, then do it, regardless of the cost. If you are spending quality time, keep going and ask God how you can grow in your relationship even more! That might mean more time or a change in what you are doing. Trust Him to guide you, but seek His guidance without distraction or delay. 

Danger 2: Gumption and Presumption

An excellent definition of faith is found in Romans 4:20, 21: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” It states that Abraham’s faith was complete trust in God’s Word alone, regardless of his impossible circumstances. As he grew in his faith, he no longer relied on impulse, emotion, or unqualified impressions. Every action, even during the intense events surrounding Isaac, was filtered through the Word of God. Abraham did not have the written Word of God, but he recognized God’s audible voice. Today we usually do not hear God’s audible voice, but we have the written Word of God. There is no reason for a lack of faith. When God spoke, Abraham didn’t understand every detail, but he knew who was speaking. He acted based on what he knew to be true. If we study the Word of God with a surrendered heart and mind, He will guide us faithfully and will not lead us astray. 

There are two pitfalls one can fall into when living by faith. One is gumption, and the other is presumption. Gumption is a valuable trait when guided by God’s principles, but if we take it into our own hands, we might think we’re capable and wise enough to fulfill God’s purposes using only our gifts or talents. Along the way, we stop trusting in Him and instead rely on our own understanding, rather than leaning on Him, as Proverbs advises (Prov. 3:5, 6). God called Moses to undertake a special task, but the unbiblical form of gumption took hold. Gumption gives us courage in the heat of battle, but it must be tempered with faith and a submission of our own will to His. 

Presumption involves the danger of assuming things that aren’t true. It’s knowing something contradicts the Word of God, doing it anyway, and believing that God will still bless you. Balaam thought he could earn money by reasoning in his heart that God didn’t mean what He said. These foolish choices never bring blessings; instead, they produce a curse for everyone involved. Many today often think the devil is attacking them repeatedly, but that’s often not the case. They may simply be experiencing the consequences of poor decisions, extreme positions, and unreasonable expectations. Some see themselves as martyrs when, in fact, the Lord is revealing their own shortcomings. An honest self-examination and repentance from self-righteousness is desperately needed. 

As Paul writes: “That you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other” (1 Cor. 4:6). In our thoughts, plans, attitudes, or actions we must be careful not to go beyond what is written in God’s Word. Both wayward gumption and presumption are sins of pride, and they should be laid at Jesus’ feet daily.

Danger 3: Overspiritualizing

Overspiritualizing means interpreting something solely through a spiritual lens, to the point of losing its literal or practical meaning. Everyday activities are perceived as peak spiritual warfare, with eternally altering decisions to make on the center stage of the great controversy battlefield. Jesus used parables to teach spiritual lessons from daily life. Overspiritualizing is the opposite, involving attempts to apply deep spiritual ideas to minor aspects of life where they are simply not applicable. This often includes actions or choices.

Examples could be:

• Lord, is it Your providential plan for me to do the laundry or clean the house today?

• I am sick, so I must have sinned.

• The devil really attacked me, because I missed my flight (even though I left too late). 

• I must have done something to displease God, because I keep having problems with my car. 

• If I don’t repent from driving too fast, my prayers won’t be answered, and someone could be lost as a result. 

• That natural disaster happened because of the culture of those people.

• The mark of the beast is coming because that person was elected into political office. 

The list can go on and on. Holding such views can result in unbiblical positions, which often cause spiritual exhaustion, frustration, and depression. Overspiritualizing can also lead to: 

• seeking to control others’ choices

• criticism and accusations against our brothers, sisters, or leaders

• speculation and surmising

• artificial traditions or self-imposed rules that hinder mission and evangelism

• harsh words that drive away guests

It promotes a sense of spiritual elitism in the individual because they believe they possess knowledge that others lack. They think they have a special light that others should follow because they consider it vital. There is a difference, however, between God’s truth and the overly spiritualized interpretations of people, similar to the additional rules of the Pharisees. In the grand scheme of things, there isn’t much difference between the two—they both stem from pride. 

If we overspiritualize every routine thing into a miracle or a spiritual mountain, we often end up living by impulse and emotion rather than walking in the Holy Spirit.

I’m not implying that God doesn’t care about the small things or the plain truth revealed in His Word—simply that not every minor issue is a major battlefield. Every decision in a chain can lead to a larger decision that may be good or bad, but not every small thing is the main event. Likewise, not every feeling or impulse comes from the Holy Spirit or from the devil. In fact, most don’t. We can generate degenerate thoughts on our own. Many people are derailed by a single thought or emotion they justify through their interpretation of what the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy really says, when it’s often just a response to past trauma or self-imposed authority.

Many view anything less than extremism as a compromise. But living within the bounds of both grace and truth is not a compromise; it’s a biblical principle. Neither grace nor truth is complete without the other. An imbalance of either, without the other, can lead to extremism or sensationalism unless both are guided by biblical reality and principles. We are called to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). The safest approach is always to consider the context of any biblical principle. Specific instructions were given for a particular age and time (e.g., men must wear beards of a certain length), while balanced principles remain valid for all ages (e.g., God’s people should be clean, neat, and tidy). 

God has established cause and effect and order in many things, which can teach spiritual lessons but are not always explicitly spiritual in themselves. While God performs miracles, He doesn’t always do them every day. He also exists in a world of consistency. He sets things in motion with the ability to operate and re-create within their own sphere (Gen. 1). Similarly, if we over-spiritualize every routine thing into a miracle or a spiritual mountain, we often end up living by impulse and emotion rather than walking in the Holy Spirit.

With God, it’s often the small things that become great. Jesus spent many years as a carpenter before going to the cross. For years He gave His food away to those who had none before performing the miracle of the fish and loaves.[2] He didn’t live in constant miracle-working excitement, but instead developed a godly character through self-sacrifice. When the miracle occurred, people more readily remembered who God truly was because of His consistent life, not just the miracle itself. God dwells in the anchor of consistency. The Holy Spirit shapes us in this way, not through endless emotionalism. While every breath we take is miraculous, miracles are more milestones than the daily path. 

Spirit and Truth in Harmony

Impressions can be providence, yet they might also result from having eaten too much pizza the night before. How can you tell the difference? Let everything be evaluated through the Word and common sense. Look at the big picture. Don’t miss the forest for the trees. Don’t let emotions or impulses control you. If it’s unclear, wait on the Lord. Talk to trusted advisors. Don’t make life-changing decisions in a rush, and don’t spend all day debating whether it’s God’s will for you to do the laundry! 

Friend, take care to walk in balance rather than swinging between sensational extremes. Avoid both wayward gumption and presumption. Don’t be legalistic, but don’t dismiss God’s law for the sake of grace. Have zeal, but according to God’s knowledge (Rom. 10:2). Do not go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6). Live and walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Let God’s Word and Spirit guide you today in the balance, joy, and hope of the gospel in your heart, mind, and daily life. 

[1] See Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1898, 1940), p. 83.

[2] Ibid., p. 87.