Saturday, March 9, 2013

Greater than Myself

The Constitution of the United States will always be on of the world's most important documents. And yet today there are people who want to dismiss it. I shouldn't be surprised by it. There have always been people against it.I find it to be of the primary significance for the good of this country. The Constitution is greater, and ought to be greater, than the US itself and its people. It has to be.

The Constitution recognizes the fact that power is corrupting and the the general guide of mankind (and government) is toward corruption.There are checks to that power. When something "greater than" exists, then all must submit to that power. The power is in the document and the Law that it embodies. Government must submit to its authority. When it doesn't, then something else will take its place. That tends to be a branch of government or a party or perhaps the nature of the person his or herself. Someone may say "I know better." But when we elevate ourselves above the Law, then we become the power that is greater than and everyone must submit. The Constitution is not inflexible. It can be changed; but It, Itself, gives the directives on how that is to occur. No matter what, we need to submit to a greater authority or else, something will come and fill the void.

The same is true with each of us and our relationship to God. More than anything, we NEED a power that is greater than ourselves. God is and the world is set so that we work because we have a power greater than ourselves. When we deny the power that is God, something else will take God's rightful place. For each of us, it will become something: alcohol, work, pleasure, drugs, a relationship, children or something. Perhaps most importantly it may become ourselves. And that is most dangerous. We become God. An even with good motivations, we fail miserable because we do not have the tools needed to be God. And yet God we become. Or something else. We will then submit to that god and call others to submit to that god too.

And that is dangerous.

The more I know myself, the more I realize how no one ought to submit to me. But that is good because I know that *I* need to submit to God. That is how we are designed. If I need to act differently, or to have things I want, there are ways to change that. God works cooperatively with us as we grow up.  Every good parent changes the law as a child grows.

I am thankful today that there is a God who is loving and good and just. And He is greater than myself.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting, Paul. God is in all of us and we are ALL the fruit of His vine.

    Mary

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