Not Impressed – Week One

I have good news for you – God is not impressed by how smart you are.

Let that sink in for a minute.

When you come to God, you don’t have to know what to say. You don’t have to figure it out. You don’t have to come up with all the answers. And you don’t have to always know what to do.

God already knows everything. He does not need you to inform or educate Him. He does not need your explanations or brilliant plans.

Life often leaves us with more questions than answers, and we feel pressure to make sense of things. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, a king known for his great wisdom, honestly explores the challenges and frustrations of life. He concludes that when our experiences are filtered only through what happens “under the sun,” life is meaningless. Only when filtered through God’s perspective and wisdom, can we grasp the deeper purpose for our existence.

In light of these observations, Solomon advises us to guard our steps when entering God’s presence. When we come to God, we should be ready to “listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools.” Solomon warns, “Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 NASB)

These words challenge me. When I come before God, am I so full of observations, complaints, requests, and solutions that I forget to listen? Do I consider how great God is? Do I remember to worship? Or am I merely offering the sacrifice of fools?

Not many of us would dare say we know better than God, yet often we approach Him in a manner that claims we do. Romans 11 says it this way, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

We experience healing in God’s presence when we come ready to listen. God is calling us to bring our pain to Him. He invites us to lay our burdens down. To call out for hope and renewal.

Over the past few months, I’ve had many questions for God. I can’t comprehend the physical sickness or the soul-sickness our nation and the world faces. I don’t understand the death, racism, hatred, and pain. I struggle with my shortcomings and disappointments.

The story of Job comes to mind. Job lost everything – his family, his business, his reputation. Soon friends gathered around him to bring comfort. For seven days and seven nights, they simply sat with Job in his pain. Then the words began. The friends voiced their concerns – surely the only explanation of these circumstances was that Job was at fault. From their experience, calamity had a direct connection to God’s judgment. In defense, Job argued he was innocent and mourned the pain and darkness of this world.

After many speeches and explanations about what God was thinking and doing, God’s voice breaks through. Listen to His first words, “Who is this that darkens my counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2) God commands Job to stand and listen, reminding him that he was not present when the earth was created. Only God commands the morning and evening, instructs the storms, and controls animals’ life cycles. When God finished His rebuke, Job responded by retracting his words and repenting.

Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes and Job’s example remind us to consider just Who we are talking to. While God is a Father and Friend, He is also the Creator of the ends of the earth. He controls the seasons, the earth’s orbit, and the very breath in our lungs.

But this warning is also an invitation. An invitation to let go of our need to figure everything out, our desire to have a plan and know what to say, and our attempt to heal our own hearts. Instead, God invites us into His presence, where we can find hope and renewal, where we don’t have to impress Him, and we can embrace His greatness and goodness.