Who do you think you are?

I've been doing some research lately on a series of lessons that I'm going to teach a group of students and adults who will be traveling to the Seattle area this summer for a mission trip. Since this is a greatly unchurched area of America, the chances of encountering those who have little to no belief in God are pretty guaranteed. The purpose of the training is to equip them with a lot information in little nugget forms that will allow them to express their faith and defend it at the same time.

As I've read my books, perused websites, and listened to podcasts, I've noticed that many who claim to be "nonreligious" have an affinity for blaming God for the bad things that go on in our world today. Many of these same people will tell you that they can't believe in a God who can't keep up His end of the deal. "If God is so great and worthy to be followed, why does life stink?" they ask.

Just what end of the deal does God need to keep? How exactly has He failed us? He created us, made a way for us to overcome the gap that our sin has created between Him and us, and has laid out a wonderful plan for our lives through Jesus. So what kind of obligation is it that we need to expect from God?

How many of those people that blame God for the bad in this world are just as quick to blame Him for the good? I would venture to guess not many. And how arrogant it is to think that somehow God got all of this wrong and needs to scramble to fix it if He wants us to follow Him. For those who question who God is, maybe the better question would be "Who do you think you are?" Because apart from God, we aren't much.