The God Who Is "More" - The Wesleyan Church

So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. (1 Sam. 3:18)

A god who always thinks like we do is no god at all, but a projection of our own human beliefs and understanding. The true God is beyond our grasp and understanding, thus we can always expect God to be “more” and “better” than we can imagine. More love. More grace. More in tune with the plight of the oppressed. If the messages we hear from God are always propping up existing structures and worldly biases, then we should question whether we are as spiritually attuned as we think.

The first message Samuel downloaded from God was a harsh one of judgment—but its harshness was directed toward spiritual leaders who abused and oppressed the people under their leadership. It reveals a God whose heart is toward the common person—one who won’t abide spiritual leaders who refuse to tune in to the frequency of his love. Hophni and Phineas couldn’t imagine a God who truly loved and stood with the people they despised and oppressed. Their foolishness was limiting God’s capacity for love.

As believers, we can easily get in the habit of thinking that God always thinks the way we do, opposes the people we do, and lets slide the things we let slide. To be true spiritual leaders, we must be willing to expand our hearts to believe in a God who is “more” than we ever imagined.

Let the law of God’s love be your guide.

Kevin R. Scott is an editor for Wesleyan Publishing House and author of ReCreatable and Awakening Faith. He loves spending time with his wife, Debbie, their four children, and two grandchildren.

The God Who Is “More”