Apologizing for God

The Myth
The Bible is the truth, except the parts that aren't palatable to me, which I try to explain away or make more acceptable.

The Reality
God doesn't need us to apologize for Him. He needs us to approach His word with humility and honesty, even (or especially?) the parts that we don't find as agreeable as the "love your neighbor" stuff.

I'm a pretty big fan of Francis Chan. I admire him in this video for taking an extremely transparent and uncommonly honest approach to the discussion of Hell, and his faith in general.

Why It Matters

God doesn't need us to make Him more presentable or acceptable. He needs us to recognize our subservience to Him, and accept the fact that we only see a small part of the picture. And, as Francis says, there are certain things that we can not afford to get wrong.

I haven't read the book yet, but I plan on reading it in the near future. For anyone concerned that this video is just a commerical for Francis Chan's book, with the intent of making him rich, consider this:

‎"Chan gives away about 90 percent of his income ... Chan doesn't take a salary from his church, and he has donated all of his book royalties, which total about $500,000 to various charities. Much of it goes to organizations which rescue sex slaves in foreign countries." - Christianity Today, October 2009

Wherever you go, there you are!

The Myth
"Wherever you are, take comfort in knowing that God has you there for a reason."

The Reality
Christians like to feel good about where we are. We're extremely inert, loving to continue doing what we're already doing. That's why many of the most successful modern pastors and motivational speakers are the ones who make you feel good about yourself: You're okay where you are --in fact, you're there because GOD wants you there!
In reality, it's actually dangerous to think that every situation is where God wants you. Think about it: If you murder someone and become a fugitive from the law, do you think God wants you there? Of course not! God wants you to be in HIS will. You're only where He wants you to be if you're there as a result of obedience to Him. If you're in the place you're at right now because of your disobedience, then you're not where God wants you.
That doesn't mean God can't still use you in your current situation, or that He won't work it out for good, but it definitely does not mean that God is happy with the way everything is.
I think we often read the verse, "All things work for the good..." and forget the rest of it: "of those who love Him, who are called according to HIS purposes."
If you're not called according to His purposes (aka obeying and doing His will), then don't blame your current situation on God and say, "Well this is where God wants me, so I'll just trust Him through this."

Why It Matters
Until you're obeying God, you can't have confidence that you're where He wants you. Don't pretend to "trust God in your current situation" if you're not trusting Him in your current actions.