If you see me around often, it won't come as a surprise that I have one particular pair of shoes I rather enjoy wearing... chances are i'll have them on any day of the week, every season, regardless of the rest of the outfit... can you guess?? Think Texas (yes, I secretly want to marry a cowboy haha). That's right... my brown, worn out cowboy boots! Scuffed, faded, peeling sole... yet I relentlessly refuse retire them.
People ask me why I'm so committed to them. The two shoes have clearly served their duty and are ready for a rest in the back of the closet. But I can't bear to let them go (I actually have another pair of the exact same shoes I've been saving for when the current pair gets the boot, but they're just hanging out in the box... patiently awaiting their showtime haha). I've been wrestling with why exactly I won't give the first pair up. No sentimental memories are attached to them, they weren't purchased anywhere special, and they certainly don't have an outstanding timelessness or beauty! But still, they haven't let me down yet.
Constant... Steadfast... Faithful...
In one of my classes, an interesting question was posed to the students. I use "interesting" not because I hadn't heard the question before, but because of the context in which it was presented. After attempting to dialoguing with the class about how God has been defined and perceived over the ages, beginning with the first Yahweh worshippers (Hebrew people who eventually became the people of Israel) and continuing into today's modern context, my professor reminded us of the unavoidable tension between God's incomparable, transcendent nature and His desire to reveal himself to us. We can't come to terms with who God is, at least not in his entirety.
"The real God is greater than the God of the Bible," emerged from his mouth to taunt a skeptical class of Bible-believing Christians. Is that a heretical statement? Not necessarily. My professor's point was that, although the Bible points us in the right direction towards understanding the depth of who God is, it doesn't enable us to grasp the full concept. We just can't. I actually find this refreshing! If I could understand and conceive of all aspects of God, he wouldn't be God. Furthermore, we can't just pick and choose the attributes of God we like and don't like... elevating one above another would present an inaccurate portrayal of who his is. Failure to recognize the vastness of who He is results in human elevation along with the potential of worshipping something other than God! Anyway... back to the "interesting question."
After going into detail about God's transcendent, inconceivable nature, my professor transitioned to asking, "What's the most important attribute of God?" Um, didn't we just establish that we can't actually describe God; we can't choose one attribute over another? Yes... but... God is a personal being who reveals himself to us individually and invites us to engage in relationship with Him. We wants us to know who he is. Herein lies the tension, but the beauty shines forth.
So the question can, perhaps, be re-worded into "what has God revealed about himself to me that has significance and particular weight in my life?"Not "what's the best thing about God for everyone at all times and in all situations?" but "what is God showing me about himself?"
Faithfulness.
In the same way I take delight in the consistent presence of my beloved old brown boots, I rejoice in the steadfastness of my Lord... even in the midst of intense anxiety, fear, sadness, and stress, nothing can separate me from his love (Romans 8:38, 39). Although I may turn in shame of my disobedience and wickedness, nowhere I run will hide me from his presence (Psalm 139:7-10). He is faithful when I am not (2 Tim 2:13). And, oh, am I ever thankful my faithfulness (or lack thereof) does not affect the faithfulness of my God!
No analogies are perfect (and there's a whole slew of dangers in comparing God to a pair of shoes! I'm really not getting at that! haha) but I can't help but smile when I think of how faithfully my cowboy boots have been my 'sole' companions for the past few years... then, when I consider the incredible faithfulness demonstrated by God, that smile can't help but awaken peace and joy from within me. I take comfort in the complexity and transcendent nature of God, but for now, I find rest in knowing his faithfulness revealed to me. From this, I walk forward into knowing more and more of who he is. From this, I am compelled to walk in love.
"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," Deut. 7:9
