Most people believe the truth is ‘this or that’ and rarely, if ever, consider a greater truth dwells in ‘this and that.’ We argue and debate over perspectives as if I am right and you are wrong. Why is this and does it really matter? Does it make a difference in daily living?
Could it be that tainted perceptions cause us to see differences as contrasts rather than as God intended, as complementary factors? It certainly seems a balancing view of life is a forgotten approach. How did we move away from the stabilizing perspective of balance?
Tainted perceptions can cause us to view differences as contrasts.
Created with Balance
As we examine the natural world, we find it is a combination of ‘paired variables.’ Easily noted examples include day and night, up and down, left and right, in and out, soft and hard.
Likewise, the natural realm is a blend of ‘paired forces;’ gravitational pulls, positive and negative energies, summer and winter seasons, and good and bad activity. Each are binding dynamics of the natural creation, one is not independent of the other. Actually, each is dependent on the other and neither can exist without its apparent opposite as a complement.
Yes, this created temporal realm is a combination of shared factors where life-forms begin, develop, and pass away. Each ‘variable and force’ in nature is intended to influence our development; to assist our coming and going, personal growth and decline, even life and death.
Life’s Intention
Natural life has always been an important part of God’s intention for us and becomes more meaningful when we include His insightful guidance. Life in this world, from the beginning, included the activity of natural ‘work’ (a). [See end notes for Scriptures]
Everyone is born into this world as an offspring of God (b) and is intended to grow and develop as one of His children (c). In this world, we all reflect and resemble in small ways, our heavenly Father’s character, attitude and personality (CAP). As a good father, God wants to help us mature into better expressions of His heart (d).
Natural life becomes more meaningful when we include God’s insightful guidance.
Shared Values
God designed us to initially live and function in the earth as natural ‘and’ spiritual beings, not one or the other. The paring of natural and spiritual features in our make-up equips each of us with the ability to interact with both realities.
Remember, all the trees God planted in the Garden of Eden were good for food, especially the two He placed in the center; the ‘tree of life’ and the ‘knowledge of good and evil’ (e). Trees in Scripture represent sources of nutrition and the accumulation of wisdom (f).
Each of the trees in the center had a specific purpose. The ‘tree of life’ is a visual for our spiritual input and the wisdom we receive from interaction with God (g). The tree of the ‘knowledge of good and evil’ (productive ‘and’ destructive processes) is a visual for the wisdom we receive from natural experience. While While our natural experiences provide levels of understanding, God cautioned against turning to it as our dominate source of wisdom.
God cautioned against seeking wisdom from natural experience as our dominate source of wisdom.
Life Gets Complicated
God fathers each of us into this life, to live and interact with His Spirit as our insightful guide. However, as kids often do, our first parents chose to ignore Father’s advice and seek wisdom from the other source (h). To their detriment (and everyone since), the decision to ignore spiritual insight turned their primary focus toward gaining insight and wisdom from natural experience.
Separating from a full trust in God and His guidance opened the door for a dreadful fear entered their consciousness(i). As it was received and took root in our first parents, it distorted their view of everything natural and spiritual. Complementary AND’s began to appear as OR’s. Day and night became light or dark. The experience of good and evil (productive and destructive) began to appear as contrast. Fear even warped their understanding of God’s undying love (k).
So, what often appears to us as opposites are actually created to be supporting factors! You’ll find an explanation of this in my blog “How the Fear Factor Twists Perceptions of God.”
What often appears to us as opposites, God has designed to be supporting factors.
God’s Guidance Leads to Balance
So where is God leading us? It is generally into the abundance He intends for us between the ‘variables, forces, and processes’ that God created, as balancing factors. This is where the Prince of Peace reigns in our lives (m). His guidance can help us see value in each other’s differences and in the various sides of issues. God’s view of life is better than a fear-laden “either/or” approach.
We can benefit greatly by returning to God’s balancing view of life’s variables and forces. As we look to God’s guidance and learn to live with His perspective, without distorting fear, we enter greater levels of maturity and become more heavenly than carnal minded!
Seeing with God’s balancing perspective can help us see value in each other’s differences.
a) Genesis 2:15; b) Acts 17:22-29; c) John 1:12; 8:12; Romans 8:14; d) John 16:13; Ephesians 4:13-16; e) Genesis 2:8-9; f) Revelations 22:2; 2:7; Genesis 3:6; g) John 17:3; 2 Corinthians 11:3; h) Genesis 3:6-7; i) Genesis 3:10; k) 1 John 4:16-18; Ephesians 4:2-7; m) Isaiah 9:6-7
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
The Christ Culture author