God’s Concern Is Not One Dimensional

Posted by on April 13, 1997 under Bulletin Articles

Viewing our typical spiritual concerns, someone could conclude that we serve a God who is one dimensional in His concern. Someone could conclude that He has one primary concern. That concern alone is essential. While He regards many things as important, only this concern is the consuming concern.

Intellectually, we realize that God has many concerns. Emotionally, we feel that God has a “most important” concern. Therefore we conclude that if we identify and yield to that concern, God is pleased and we are secure.

To view divine concern as one dimensional is to view relationship as one dimensional. “I will be an exceptional husband if I make a lot of money. Making money is the most important concern in a successful marriage.” “I will be an exceptional wife if I prepare good meals. Excellent home cooking is the most important concern in a successful marriage.” “I will be an exceptional friend to ‘x’ if I will spend time with him (her). Time together is the most important concern in a successful friendship.”

Intellectually, we disagree with those views. Building a successful relationship is not a “one dimension” venture. Emotionally, we may agree. We may attempt to use money, or meal presentation, or scheduled time to create a successful relationship.

Talk to a wife married to a husband who thinks money is the key to relationship. Ask about the relationship. Talk to a husband married to a wife who thinks food is the key to relationship. Ask about the relationship. Ask a friend who has a friend that thinks habitual visits are the key to relationship. Ask about the relationship.

Ask God about His relationship with His child who has determined God’s “most important” concern. No relationship, certainly not a divine-human relationship, is successful because “one essential concern” is rigorously addressed. When commitment to the “essential concern” results in blind neglect of all other relationship concerns, the consequence is perfunctory association.

Jonah was convinced that if God loved Israel that God should not be concerned about a nation that was Israel’s enemy. God should hate what Jonah hated. God should reject what Jonah rejected. God was not one dimensional in His concerns. Jonah was. Neither is God one dimensional in His concerns today. Are we?