Trust God? Not This One!

I saw this image on Facebook last week and made a mental note to blog about it -- not because I love it, but because I hate it. HATE it. It's a horrible representation of Christ, and I defy any Christian to explain to me why it conveys trust in God. Let's work through it together:

1. When it comes to actual, physical blessings, no one knows what God's promised blessings are. Maybe there are none. What we do know from scripture is that He promises peace, comfort, and happiness. That's pretty much it. 
2. The teddy bear is probably a physical symbol of spiritual blessings here, but I think it's a bad one. Not only does it support a prosperity gospel, it also trivializes spiritual blessings, which are far greater than a physical blessing could ever be, especially if that physical blessing is a teddy bear, rather than say, a lifetime supply of food.
3. This illustration depicts a tricky God, a deceptive one. When God has a blessing ready for us, He does not dangle it in our faces or hide one hand behind His back. His hands are always outstretched, with no deception or equivocation to be found. In my mind, if this illustration was on target, Christ would clearly show the little girl what He's holding, and He'd say, "I want to give you this bigger bear instead; would you like to trade?" But . . .
4. . . . God doesn't usually take things away from us that make us happy* in order to give us something else that makes us happy. He adds to the happiness we already have. So again, in my mind, if this illustration was on target, Christ would clearly show the little girl what He's holding, and He'd say, "Here, take this bigger bear, too."
5. Bigger is not always better. Perhaps the little girl likes the small size of her teddy bear because it's easier to hold and take with her on trips or to the playground. It's also easier to wash, so . . . I'm sure God would want the little girl to be exposed to less germs over time. Why would God give such impractical gifts?

*I would argue that God never takes things away from us that make us happy; we do that. Others do that. Biology does that. People die. Or they make choices. Or they abuse. Or they steal. Or they move. Or they change. Agency -- that's what life's about. It's not about God calling all the shots. It's about making choices on our own.

Thing I'm thankful for: my colleague Jacquie's incredible sense of humor and sass