Blaming God

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson dropped an easy game-winning touchdown pass on Sunday.  It was a perfect pass, right in his arms.  After the game, he did not dodge the press and clearly was distraught.  He did not blame anyone or anything.

The next day however, Johnson tweeted:I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO...

It was almost refreshing in one sense to see a player blaming God.  Certainly enough of them give God credit for sports victories.  I would love to see someone up on the podium thanking God after blowing a pass.  I seriously doubt that God shone an extra ray of sunshine or caused Johnson to take his eye off the ball.  However, who am I to say what God did or didn’t do.  Because whatever God did, he does to further our relationship and trust in him.  It is the mark of a mature faith to see that through and not think of God as this cosmic genie that gives three wishes and takes three away. 

My wife who is the closest human being to know me and love me unconditionally would not intentionally cause me to fail to somehow punish me (even if she was mad at me which does happen occasionally!).  And she has imperfect knowledge.  But if she knew that it would make me better and improve our relationship and trust, she would do it even though it would hurt.  That is why the illustration in Scripture is of a loving father and his children.,  The Father wants his children to grow and mature (Heb 12).

Second, it is a matter of perspective.  You see a game is meaningless to God but the people in the game are meaningful to God.  We take our games seriously and for Steve Johnson it is a profession and serious.  However in the scheme of life, death, and eternity, it is trivial.  I know I am learning much more about perspective in so many ways.  How can I grow from this?  How will God use this in my life?  And as I learn this (sometimes the hard way), the trials and travails of daily living fall into the right perspective.

Hang in there Steve!