Substandard Standards

I was watching one of those movies where a loved one dies and it shakes the faith of the survivors. You know. "Why would God let that happen??" I've always been baffled by that. Is it the common view that a good God would never let a loved one die ... ever? Is it our understanding that death (which, by the way, we brought on ourselves) only occurs because God is a failure? I don't get it.

It's just one example of our standard method of objecting to God. And, by "our standard method," I include believers with unbelievers. We are constantly applying to God our own standards and complaining that He doesn't measure up. Read that again. We complain that God doesn't measure up to our standards. What lunacy! We believe that a loving God would never allow sickness and sadness, injury and misery, trials and tribulations, even though God repeatedly says so in His Word. We believe that if people go to Hell, that's a pretty mean God (either "mean" in the sense of "unkind" or "average"). Most of us are pretty sure that a God of wrath toward sin is a petty God. Mind you, it was Jesus who said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt 7:13-14). And even people who call themselves a "follower of Christ" will reject that out of hand. Because we have standards and God has to meet them or He's right out.

So it was disturbing to me when I read the actual standard.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)

Put away passions (which is the standard standard operating procedure for almost everyone) and be holy. Not just holy, but holy as God is holy. Peter didn't make that up. It was what Jesus taught. "You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:48). If God is good and God is love and God is omniscient and God is omnipotent, perhaps we ought to set aside our petty standards we keep trying to apply to Him and look to ourselves, because we definitely fall short of His standard, and His is right.