Is God Practical to Us?

by Rev. Victor C. Yakubu  |  09/20/2020  |  Weekly Reflection

When you consider what teachers go through in class, you will appreciate them for who they are. They teach, listen, and they are patient. A few times in their teaching career, they feel like they are in the wrong profession when they meet annoying students and nasty behaviors. Some students can grasp a lesson quickly; others succeed by constant repetition. While some students merit the A grade not so with many unlucky ones.

Every teacher is key to a student’s learning. It is the responsibility of the student to develop learning techniques independently and assimilate those hard theories. It is the desire of every teacher to graduate high performing students and to be proud of them. So that is the reward for teaching but sadly, not every student gets to the top.

I was not good with mathematics; I must admit. At that young age I could not understand the Pythagorean Theorem. I never liked it. I cannot even attempt to get it right even at this age. Poor teacher! She spent her whole energy repeatedly assisting me with its dynamics. It never registered. God bless her patience. God is patient with the whole of humanity. While some respond quickly to his invitation to his vineyard, others are slow doing so. God does not annihilate those who respond late. Rather he welcomes them and gives them equal status with the early comers. The gospel says, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Every individual has an equal opportunity before God, to hear his word and respond to his invitation. Individuals can deny that God exists. Does that make them enemies of God? God’s providential love covers both the saint and the sinner. God does not deny the saint or the sinner access to him. Teachers understand this with difficult students. My teachers would always tell me, “You have my email and phone number, contact me if you need help.” Sure, I always needed help. Who would not with the Pythagorean Theorem before them!

The Prophet Isaiah gives us an opportunity to seek God while he is available and to call upon him while he is near. God’s ways cannot be our ways, and God’s thoughts cannot be our thoughts. He is God. We are humans, his creatures. He is far too complicated to behave like a human being. And we cannot be as complex to outwit him in any way. The simple thing to do is to appreciate our humanity and work our way toward God with our human limitations. He is there to help us individually. While others are deep into sin, his love does not bypass them. He calls them to repentance. St. Paul advices Christians, “Conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Do not forget who you are and where you are going.

Generations of Christians have always relied on Romans 8:31 to express dependence on God who is all-powerful, all-loving, and omnipresent, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) while struggling to keep up with the Civil War and lead the nation once wrote, “Certainly there is no contending the Will of God, but still there is some difficulty in ascertaining, and applying it, to particular cases.” Exactly, that is the way man thinks under strenuous circumstances; yet God is patient with us. He will not yell at us simply because we are not living his teachings. And like every good teacher, his contact info is open to everyone. At this stage in my life, I appreciate all my teachers for the troubles I caused them. No wonder I was not selected the valedictorian of my high school graduating class. Regardless, I graduated! Although I now know the reason for studying the Pythagorean Theorem, is to brace me up for the complexities of life; I am still studying it. I am proud of teachers wherever they may be. As a creature of God, do you think God is partial to you? Share your story with somebody.

Keep praying!