Think as God Does, Not as Human Beings Do

The bible is full of paradoxes… take up your cross and follow me, lose your life for God’s sake, give up everything for the sake of the Gospel, detach from the world and its possessions, to name just a few. These paradoxes give us insight into how God thinks and what matters to Him most. 

Jesus challenges Peter in today’s Gospel by saying, “You’re thinking as human beings do, but not like God!” That was his challenge and that’s also our challenge – to think like God and not like our human tendencies. How do we do that? Reading and reflecting on His Word. Developing a relationship with Him. Spending more time with Him. Growing in our understanding of His ways.

Our human being tendencies want to skirt the cross. We want to problem solve our way out of carrying the cross God gives us. We want to use our power to overcome and master the cross, just like Peter suggests to Jesus. Our world gives us a lot of false impressions that we have control and power to do that. We can take a valuable lesson from Jesus: carry that cross with acceptance and humility, endure the suffering, and a glorious resurrection will follow beyond our wildest hopes.

Recently, I was intensely focused on doing everything in my human power to overcome my current cross. What a waste of valuable time! All my energy was directed at getting rid of this cross and in the end it was a fruitless endeavor that led to a lot of desolation. I gave up and surrendered. Throughout this process, I learned that I couldn’t get rid of this cross. It was here until God decided to remove it. Maybe He would never remove it and I would have to learn how to navigate life with it.

It’s only when I took up the cross, embraced it, and focused on living the Gospel life again that I felt God’s peace and consolation return to me. I felt a lightness of heart. I had found my center. Resisting the cross was not my path to peace.

Then unexpectedly one day, God gave me a beautiful vision and reflection of what embracing this cross could look like and what awaited me in heaven someday if this was the cross I had to accept in my life. I consider that moment a spiritual treasure and a new insight about how God thinks and works. I felt profound peace and suddenly I understood: this cross has a bigger purpose and a bigger reward than I fully understand as a human being. In fact other human beings likely wouldn’t understand because God’s ways are mysterious and paradoxical.

So consider taking up that cross with less resistance… consider the path of acceptance… and maybe God will show you the vision of glory that awaits you as well!