Reactive or Proactive?

Those are not terms we normally associate with God.  But it might be helpful to examine your view of God in light of those concepts.

For example, do you imagine that God is waiting for you to ask Him to help you?  Is He involved in a lot of things and may – or may not – get around to taking care of you depending on His workload?  Does your prayer encourage Him to act, because otherwise, He wouldn’t have thought of it?

The Bible rebukes that outlook.  Isaiah reassuringly states, “before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (65:24)  And Jesus said of his heavenly Father that He “knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”  (Matt 6:8)

The online Free Dictionary defines proactive in part, as: “Acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty; anticipatory.”  That only tells part of the story about God.  Certainly He is available to help us in the midst of or to avoid difficulty.

But more than that, we need to see Him as supplying everything we ever need – ever.  Our view of God needs to be big enough to expect Him to care for us at all times and in all ways, just as Jesus expected – and experienced.  Even in ways that are beyond our difficulties but actually preparing us to receive infinite and ongoing good.

Did Jesus ever wonder if God was going to show up and follow through while the Master was healing the sick or feeding the multitude?  Before he raised Lazarus from the dead he prayed, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  And I knew that thou hearest me always.”  (John 11:41,42)  That’s the God – the divine Love – that Jesus expected us to also know and rely on.

Is your view of God that big?  With God, all things are possible.