Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
In my previous blog, I posed the question of whether or not God sees us. I suggested we all have a deep-seated need to be seen, known, and loved by God. But, when we feel we’re not, it can frustrate and upset us. For some, it can lead to a decision to reject God and cut Him off from having any part in your life. Unfortunately, our failure to see God taking an interest in us is only one of many reasons why people either give up on God and/or reject Him altogether.
Why do Some Reject God?
I’ve been a Christian for over 60 years, and I’ve seen many examples of people who have cut God out of their lives. The reasons fall all over the map, yet there is usually a precipitating cause behind each individual’s decision. It starts at the base level of assuming we know who God is and how He operates. Hopefully, our last blog shattered some preconceived images of God’s character and how He operates. Bottom line: No one really knows all the complexities of God.
Despite the truth of that last statement, it usually doesn’t stop some people from assuming they have “figured out who God is.” Armed with their (false) assumptions, they reject God because of one (or more) of the following reasons. Although the reasons may seem real and justified, please keep in mind these sage words from Mark Batterson:
Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right with God. ((Batterson, Mark. Whisper (p. 182). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition))
Selfish Arrogance
Those in this category assume they know more than God, and as a result, don’t need Him; worse, they believe they can surpass Him. This is exactly the thought that got Satan kicked out of heaven. If you reject God with this attitude, you’re not alone. Many before you thought the same. Yet, all died and went to their grave humbled. God has outlived all who dared think such a ridiculous thought. God has some questions for those who think they can surpass God:
4 “Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation? 5 Who marked off how big it should be? Surely you know! 6 What were the earth’s foundations set on,12 “Have you ever ordered the morning to begin,” Job 38:4-12NCV
The Blame Game
If you’re playing one form of the Blame Game, the rules are simple: Everything bad that ever happened to you is all God’s fault. God should have prevented it, He didn’t, so now you blame Him and reject Him for it because He clearly isn’t looking out for you. This is a classic failure to accept responsibility for what happens in your life. God is not out to get you. God does not hate you. God is not vindictive. What happens to us often is a consequence of our actions and the values we hold that led to them. To blame God is to employ something I call a Blame Deflector: Pushing blame onto something or someone that may be convenient, but is clearly not responsible.
There is another type of person who plays the Blame Game. Instead of deflecting blame, they heap large quantities of blame upon themselves. I call them Blame Acceptors. They reject God because they think: “I’m not worthy! God will never forgive me for what I’ve done.” They falsely think that their sins are so bad, God will never forgive nor accept them. They are riddled with so much guilt, fear, and self-doubt, they don’t consider themselves worthy of God. Their rejection is self-imposed. The Bible gives us comfort on this note:
5 But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds. Isaiah 53:5 NCV
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 8-9 NKJV
Rebellion
Those who chose rebellion, unlike those of selfish arrogance, reject God purely because they cannot accept any authority figure over them. It’s not about surpassing God, it’s about rejecting any of His authority over your life. They hate that God gets to dictate who will go to heaven, what rules we must follow, and that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Often, such people also reject any type of conformity or adherence to the rules laid down by society. A wise man once said:
“If you ignore God and He’s real – you lose. If you seek God and He’s real – you win.”
Those who choose to rebel are betting against those odds. We choose to settle for something that does not last (the “joy” of rebellion) for something we could enjoy for eternity (the love of God! C.S. Lewis once said:
“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us.” According to Lewis, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.” ((Batterson, Mark. Whisper (p. 78). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.))
King Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, said, “11 You will groan at the end of your life when your health is gone. 12 Then you will say, “I hated being told what to do! I would not listen to correction!…21 The Lord sees everything you do, and he watches where you go. 22 An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways; the ropes of his sins will tie him up. 23 He will die because he does not control himself, and he will be held captive by his foolishness.” Proverbs 5: 11-23 NCV
Said another way, the person who rejects God by rebelling against His ways aren’t always as committed as they seem. They know (or will soon discover) they are on the losing team!
Religious Confusion
Have you ever asked the question: Why does the Bible provide only one path to heaven? And the corollary, “Shouldn’t we all be allowed the freedom to choose our own path to God?” Those in this group reject God because He is too narrow in His criteria for accepting us to be with Him. Such people often seek out religions that conform to what makes them comfortable. What God wants (or has laid out) is irrelevant. Trying to dictate to God the path you want to use in coming to Him is folly. You are confusing religious teachings (as designed by humans) with religious principles as set by God.
The primary question asked in this group is, “How can I know what God wants?” There are so many religions — which one is right? This type of reasoning is what I call a “Logic Deflector.” The person doesn’t really want to know the answer so they use what they propose as a logical rejection of God. They argue, “If God really cared about what I think, He’d find a way to tell me.” The truth is, He has! But if you’re not open to what He has to say (or think He will say), then you won’t spend much time seeking Him out. Ponder this: Of all the books written on the subject of religion, is there any one that we might attribute to God reaching out and telling us what He wants/expects from us? Consider the pedigree of the Bible:
The Bible consists of 66 books that were written by ~40 authors over a period of ~1,500 years. Most of the authors didn’t know each other. They all came from a variety of backgrounds including kings, doctors, peasants, scholars, shepherds, and fishermen. The content often criticizes the authors, questions God, and points out the sinfulness of humanity. Yet, the story is cohesive and compelling, while often judged controversial. Who else but God could have guided such a document to be written?
Procrastination
Procrastinators don’t usually “reject” God, they just delay their decision about what to do with Him (often) until it is too late. Their sin is being “wishy washy” or “lukewarm.” Jesus had something to say about such people in John’s Book of the Revelation:
16 But because you are lukewarm—neither hot, nor cold—I am ready to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3: 16 NCV
Procrastination has a price. None of us know what tomorrow may hold. If our philosophy is to “eat, drink, and be merry,” and not be saddled with the constraints of following God, then truly, “tomorrow we may die.” Our life will have been wasted on things that were temporary… given up for things that are eternal.
A Simple Lack of Belief
Some people claim to reject God based simply on their claim that they don’t believe in Him. The Bible says, such commitment will require a lot of determination! God will not easily give up on His children. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek encapsulated this thought best in their book, “I don’t have enough faith to be an Atheist.” Their premise is that there is just too much evidence in the world that points to God. Every day, scientists discover yet another thing that can only be explained by the existence of a higher power — God. Add to that the determination of a God who loves ALL of His children, and the decision to disbelieve is difficult if you are honest with yourself. A friend of mine said it this way, “I don’t believe that anyone is a legitimate atheist, at best, they are agnostic.” The Bible talks about this over and over, but here are just two verses to illustrate my point:
9 The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives. 2 Peter 3:9 NCV
For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. Psalms 37:28 NIV
Disillusionment Due to Unanswered Prayers
This last category is the most devastating of them all — people who reject God because they believe He has failed to help them in their time of need. Who has not experienced a tragedy in their life. And who has not (at some time) blamed God? Life forces us to draw conclusions concerning why things happen. What it does not do is tell us when our perspective is wrong. We pray in whatever fashion we think God will hear us and it is devastating when it appears He did not. Or worse, he seems to have rejected our petition. During such times, we may lose faith in Him and even reject Him because we feel He has rejected us. We covered this in my last blog, “Does God See Me?” There, we established that God does see us, He does care, and He does answer prayers. Our problem is, we don’t see things as God sees them so we cannot possibly determine what is fair, or unanswered. One of the best examples of this in the Bible was when the prophet, Elisha, was fleeing from an army that wanted to kill him and his servant. His servant was terrified when he saw the army approaching until Elisha prayed that God would allow him to see what Elisha saw:
16 Elisha said (to his servant), “Don’t be afraid. The army that fights for us is larger than the one against us.” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open my servant’s eyes, and let him see.” The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6: 16-17 NCV
Such is the case with us. We don’t see the world as God sees it. If we did, we’d know what God had in mind when we thought He ignored us. He is always at work on our behalf. We just need to trust Him and have faith.
Summary
When we claim to reject God, we are often afraid to confront what the real reason is – not even to ourselves. Whether it come from selfishness, anger, or hurt, rejecting God won’t solve the problem. If you’re determined to hate God, admit why you do and then ask yourself, “Is this rationale?” “Is there any chance of me winning this battle?” “What price will I pay for my decision?” On the other hand, if your rejection comes from a place of hurt and disappointment, ask yourself, “Have I given God the benefit of the doubt?” “Is it possible that He really loves me and wants to heal my hurt?” I find the quote below to contain a lot of wisdom for those who are struggling with their relationship with God:
“A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” ((Batterson, Mark.Whisper (p. 66). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.))
The secret to finding a God you can live with, trust, and love is to take the time to find out who He is and how He works. Anything less will lead to disappointment.
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