My bible study group recently finished a study on the stress of change. In the course of this study, I was called a pessimist for reasons I’m not clear on. Personally, I think it was because I disagreed with certain things being expressed. Why does my disagreeing make me a pessimist?

So naturally, I had to look this word up just to make sure I fully understood the meaning. This is what I found:

“A person who habitually sees or anticipates the worst or is disposed to be gloomy.”

I’m gloomy? I anticipate the worst?!? Really? I find that hard to believe, but correct me if I’m wrong, please.

What was I disagreeing about? The spirit of control in the church, particularly regarding women, which I already discussed here. But we only briefly touched on that subject, and I said that this was something I disagreed with at my own church. It all comes back to one issue, but I’ll get to that in a sec.

Then, when we started the study, the first point of reference was Abraham; specifically, chapter 12 of Genesis. Well, I’ve studied that chapter in depth for several years, and know it pretty well. Not that I’m the end all, or total source of knowledge on the subject, but I am pretty familiar with that particular chapter, which I discussed here.

So the question was asked, “How would you respond if God told you to leave your country?” My answer was, When do we leave? But of course, my mind was on living in a place I’d prefer to live in. I wasn’t thinking outside of that.

The person who later said I was a pessimist (a male btw) was in complete disagreement about leaving the country, and said his response would be more resistance towards the idea of leaving.

Later, the other question, which was supposed to get us thinking of a God given opportunity, was worded like this:

“Your company has told you that they have an incredible new opportunity for you in another city. They won’t tell you where it is, and you must put your house up for sale and load up the moving van before you receive an envelope with directions to your new home. How would you respond to their offer?”

I immediately said, “No way.” Then my accuser said incredulously, “You wouldn’t jump at that opportunity?!?”

I said, “No, I wouldn’t, because the company is not God.”

Well, it became somewhat of a debate (not an argument, mind you) yet, I was told I’m just a pessimist, because I didn’t agree, even when the alleged purpose of the question was explained, and even after being told, “Let’s just go with what the question asks.”

I replied, “According to the question, I’d be trusting in man, with no information to go on. I’d be uprooting my entire life based on a promise from man. At the very least, I’d have to pray about it and get confirmation from God that this is in His plans for me, otherwise, I would not go!”

I know of several people who jumped up and uprooted their lives for a “golden opportunity” promised by their company, only to get there and find out that the situation changed while they were in route, and the wonderful opportunity no longer existed. All that glitters isn’t necessarily gold.

I had made this point already in the discussion, prior to the above statement, and this was the point in which I was called a pessimist. But I don’t think I’m a pessimist for this. I think I’m cautious.

I’m not quick to believe everything man tells me, even those men who lead the church. I always want to check the word for proof if I don’t know for a certainty that a doctrine  they promote or a statement they make is supported by scripture.

For instance; in the notes of this study, it said the following:

“The Lord calls Abram to take a step of incredible faith, and through the obedience of one man, God unfolds His marvelous redemption of all mankind.”

What’s my problem with this statement? My problem is, its not a true statement. This statement is one of those typical church pushed ideologies that is self serving for the purpose of control. How?

Its in this: “…and through the obedience of one man…”

Problem is, Abram was not obedient. Check out my study if you want to know what I’m talking about. He was not obedient. But the idea of obedience is pushed so hard in the churches to control people, because the concept of faith and grace is not fully grasped nor taught.

There is no need to push obedience when faith and grace will naturally be a catalyst to obedience. We aren’t obedient when we falter in faith and because of that we fail to walk in grace which would birth obedience.

Believe me, I’m as guilty of this as the next man, but the truth is the truth. Why do you think I know this chapter in Genesis so very well? Because I was Abram.

I walked in the same sort of foolish path. I missed God in very similar ways for a long time, and He kept bringing me back to Abram until I got it, and even still; every once in a while, I have a setback in this area, and God has to gently remind me.

In the course of this study with the group, I actually discovered a verse that I didn’t find at the point my study on Abram, but which relates. Its Acts 7:2, which only confirmed the fact that God “had” told Abram to leave (past tense), which means he was not obedient immediately, and if you check that chapter and/or my study, you’ll see that God did not tell Abram to take the family. So he was not obedient.

Note that Abram’s name didn’t change right away. It changed after he finally lined himself up with God’s will, after he finally became obedient, but that didn’t happen until much later. He wasn’t known as the “father of obedience,” but as the “father of faith.” His name changed because his faith changed and he was obedient as a result of that change.

It was not his obedience that gave him that title. God did not “unfold His marvelous redemption of all mankind” because of Abram’s obedience, because clearly, he wasn’t obedient, and it took a while for him to line up.

Paul states that it is not of ourselves that we can do anything. He talks in Romans about the war with the flesh. To be obedient at our own will, or to gradually be obedient is not obedience to God’s will. Obedience to God’s will requires faith, not flesh.

We can’t accomplish anything, even obedience within the auspices of the flesh, so obedience could not and would not be the reason. Only faith is.