Why God? Why God's Word? Why Me? Ep. 20

Sarah Annie Schneider: Well Welcome to the Addicted to God Podcast. I'm your host and Bible mentor, Sarah Schneider, and I am addicted to God. Addicted to God is a community of imperfect people who are pursuing a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. I have been on my own Addicted to God journey, and this movement was inspired by the hundreds of incarcerated women whom I have had the privilege of mentoring over the past decade in my local jail. The more I learned about their addictive behaviors, the more I realize my zeal to know and understand God's word is not that different from their uncontrollable desire to use their drug of choice. So, addicted to God, this is where we transfer the unhealthy, unsatisfying, and in some cases destructive habits and choices to the freedom and fulfillment that can come from the one and only healthy addiction, and that's God and his limitless word. I have three questions to ask you today. First question: why God? Two? Why his word? And three, why does he promise to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine? Maybe you're new to this faith thing and you're not sure God is even real. Maybe you grew up in a church and somewhere along the way you stopped believing he actually shows up for people like you. Maybe you're deep into something, whether it's a habit, a heartbreak, a cycle that you just can't seem to break, and you've quietly wondered if God has the power to reach you where you are right now. I've been in all of those places myself, and so have the women I've mentored in jail. I want to spend today making the most compelling case that I know how to make, not from a seminary classroom, not from a theology textbook, but from a life that has been genuinely wrecked by God, but in the best possible way. But here's what I know after more than twenty years of walking with him. He is not who the world says he is. He is better. He is bigger. And he is more personal than you have ever dared to believe. And his word, this book that the world calls outdated, is the most alive, most relevant, and most world-altering force that you will ever, ever encounter. So buckle up. This might be the most important episode that I have recorded yet. So let's go back to question number one. Why God? It's basic, right? Well, here's an honest answer. Nothing else works. And I know that sounds cliche, but I have sat across from hundreds of women, women who've tried everything. Substances, relationships, success, control, approval, all of it. And they've tried to fix their messes. They've been to treatment, rehab, counseling, recovery groups, and even prison. I find it so interesting and sad that some people actually hope to be sentenced to prison because then they say the pressures they face, they won't have to face. And they tell me, at least in prison, I can't use. And every single time, without exception, those things delivered a temporary high or gave them a hiding place to avoid pain, pressures, and temptations. But they can't run or hide for long. Inevitably, they find a deeper emptiness than before. You see, we are not engineered like that. God did not make us this way. And it's not a metaphor, it's a design fact. Ecclesiastes 3 11 says, He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. Yet no one can fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end. Did you catch that? God has set eternity in the human heart. We are wired to desire God. But unfortunately, when we're not looking for Him or we don't realize our need for Him, we find all. Alternatives. For you history buffs, I don't know if you are familiar with Augustine, often known as Saint Augustine. He was one of the most influential Christian thinkers in history. It's recorded that he lived over 1600 years ago in North Africa. Before he came to know Christ or became a Christian, he lived a very restless life. He chased success, pleasure, relationships, knowledge, and nothing ever satisfied that deep ache in his soul. Sound familiar? He later described in his famous book called Confessions, quote, our hearts are restless until they rest in thee. End quote. I love that. You see, nothing has changed except that we have more options than ever for numbing our restlessness. And we are more miserable than ever because of it. But who is this God we're talking about? Because a lot of us are rejecting a version of God that isn't even accurate. We've been handed a picture of him as a distanced, disappointed, demanding, and angry God. I was introduced to a guide a couple months ago, and he told me he had just started reading the Bible. The person who introduced me to him introduced me as her Bible mentor. And since I'm wired to encourage, support, and guide people in scripture, I recommended that once he finished Genesis, that he start reading the New Testament. Because from my experience, People who are new to the Bible get around Leviticus, maybe Exodus, and they get discouraged. And he got offended that I gave him advice that he didn't ask for. Later, I learned that he did exactly what I feared he would do. He determined that God was evil and he said, I cannot follow a God like that. Sadly, he got it all wrong, but in his ignorance and pride, He refused to take my advice and came to a misguided conclusion. Yes, God is just because he hates sin. I still pray for this man because God can use anything to help him see his goodness, mercy, and unwavering love. But this is just one example of how easy it is for people to completely misunderstand God. So let me tell you who he actually is. Let me start by saying. He knows you. Psalm 39, 13 and 14 says, For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. See, you aren't made just as a mass of cells or a blob that grew into a human. He knit you. Every detail of you. Every complexity, every part of you that makes you uniquely you. He handcrafted it. He was there before you even took your first breath. And you know what else? He said, You are wonderfully made. And he calls you by name. And he knows every detail because he made you uniquely you. Isaiah 43:1 says, Do not fear. For I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name. You are mine. Did you hear that? You are mine. That is so endearing. You're not a number, a case file, or a statistic. You're his. Now that's the God I'm talking about. He is love. And not just loving. He's love itself. First John 4.8. Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. Everything he does flows from love. His commands aren't to restrict you, they are put to protect you. His correction isn't to shame you, it's to restore you. Every time he says no, there's love behind it. You may not understand it, but one day you'll look back with gratitude. Whenever I get a no from God, I simply say God's rejection is my protection, and I trust that he has a better plan, a bigger purpose. And a greater picture than I could ever muster in my own mind. Sometimes I want things that ultimately, now that I look back, they would have been harmful. They would have been destructive. I would have been miserable. So I choose to trust him. And guess what? One other thing. He chose you before you chose him. So if you're on this addicted to God journey and you're not sure about it, just know he's there. He's waiting. He's eager for you to come to him. Ephesians 1 4 says, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Did you catch that? Before the mountains were formed, before the first star was hung into space, before your parents were born, he looked across eternity and he chose you. I don't know how you feel about that, but that is no small thing. Quite frankly, I think that's everything. He proved his love at the highest possible cost. Romans 5 8 says he demonstrated his own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Not after we got it all together, while we were still in a mess. The cross is not a symbol. It is the most radical act of love in history. A perfect God taking on the punishment for every sin we ever committed, past, present, and future. So that nothing would ever have to separate us from him again. So to bring this full circle, why God? Because there is no one else like him, and there has never been, there will never be. He is the only one who sees you completely and loves you anyway. The only one whose power is unlimited. The only one who conquered death and can therefore do something about whatever you are challenged with, struggling over, or feeling defeated in. One more thing. I did an episode on unworthiness, and I think it's worth mentioning here. So many people struggle with the truth of this. How can it be? How can a God love a faulty, broken, insignificant, messed up me? My resource recommendation for this podcast is Stacy Elderidge's book, Becoming Myself. In this book, I was able to grasp what I was wrestling to comprehend on my own. This book was a turning point for me. I was able to process some of my childhood trauma. I forgave my parents for things that I was harboring in unforgiveness. I accepted that I am the most precious gift in God's sight. And if he's okay with me, I can be okay with me. It actually sends you into a deep, humble place of gratitude and points you to every reason you can hold your head up high. Because God wants that for us. Not to live in feelings of inadequacy, defeat, failure, or never feeling like we add up. We add up, and the bridge between our shortcomings and God's holiness is Jesus Christ Himself. And guess what? Because Jesus was resurrected to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide, our comforter, and our counselor. So if you think God is distant and impersonal, the opposite is true. When you surrender your life to Jesus, You get his Holy Spirit in you. That Holy Spirit helps accentuate your gifts and abilities that God gave you. And guess what else he does? He guards you against all of Satan's lies. And trust me, Satan has a lot of lies he wants you to believe about yourself. So let's talk about God's word. I love to talk about the Bible because I know some of you have questions. And those questions alone could be sending you hunting for answers in his word. Think about a hunter. I used to hunt with my dad. We would get up very early, long before the light of day. We got all of our hunting gear, we grabbed all our weapons and ammunition, and we walked quietly yet deliberately to our hunting stand. Once there, we sat, we waited, and we watched. As the sun started to rise, we scanned the perimeter. Our eyes evaluated the horizon. We anticipated what we would do if we saw deer. God's word is much like hunting. I get up long before the sunrise. I throw on my slippers, a light sweater, and arm myself with a fresh hot cup of coffee. I get to my Bible desk, open up God's word, and I scan the storyline. I search for evidence of what he's teaching me, and I wait in anticipation of what it says and what I should put into practice and apply to my life. It's an adventure. It's an adrenaline rush. It's a committed pursuit. If and when that truth jumps off the page that I've been waiting for, he never disappoints. Some days he drops. What I call a boulder in my lap. And I need to work it out. Working it out sometimes means I'll cry, I'll laugh, I'll journal in confusion, or I'll just simply pray and ask him questions. But when that boulder appears, apparently I need that area of my life where God needs to put his finger on it. It's actually something selfish that I'm usually clinging to or a sin I'm enjoying a little too much and he's putting up a warning. Other days, it's as if he sweeps a little feather across my forehead, a gentle reminder that he loves me. He's got me, and everything is gonna be okay. It's honestly why I started recording pondering on the path on YouTube. It's my daily meditation in God's creation where I take the truths of Scripture and bring them into perspective. It's intended to inspire all who follow and listen to grow closer and into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. But most often it's me getting up from my Bible desk with such a busy mind of all the new revelations that God has just taught me. It's too good to keep to myself. So I want to tell the world how great God is and what he spoke to me and what I gleaned from his word that morning. It's almost like getting up from a conversation with a good friend at a coffee shop after hours of a deep, vulnerable, and genuinely life-giving conversation. I'm still relishing the beauty of my friendship, the gratitude of our conversation, and the bonding we experienced. It's so invigorating. You've maybe tried to read it and got lost in all those genealogies. Maybe someone used it to hurt you. Maybe the world has told you that it's just an old book written by flawed humans with an agenda. Which I used to believe at one point. I want to address that head on. And then I want to show you what this book actually is. Because once you see it, you can't unsee it. So first, the Bible is not just a book. It is God speaking. Second Timothy 3, 16 and 17 says, All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. God breathed. The same breath that filled Adam's lungs, the very first human, the same breath that hovered over the waters at creation in Genesis 1-1, and that breath that is in these pages. When you open your Bible, you're not just reading about God. You are encountering him. And it is alive in a way that no other book is. Hebrews 4.12 says, the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Alive and active. I have read this same verse so many times that I've memorized it. That's the living word, finding you exactly where you are. There are many examples that I could give you for how I have seen this happen in my own life, but I'm gonna give you one. Back in COVID, and I know everybody remembers COVID, the vaccines had just come out. My community was so divided. I sat on committees who were desperately working on how we were gonna get vaccines out to the most vulnerable populations. The news was splattered with confusing messages. Some people were threatening that if everybody didn't get vaccinated, we would not be able to stop the spread. Others were saying no to vaccinations because they were claiming herd immunity is what it would take to strengthen our immune systems as humans. And that's what we were supposedly designed to do. People were losing their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. There were threats that you couldn't travel or attend large events unless you showed proof of vaccination. Some people were being honored religious exemptions, while others were having to pay for attorneys. And there were lawsuits over what our constitutional rights were. Even as a Christian, believer in Jesus Christ, I didn't want to be tossed in the fears of uncertainty. After all, God does say, do not fear, more than any phrase in the Bible. Yet, one side, my Christian friends proclaimed First Corinthians six, nineteen and twenty, that says, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you are bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. On the opposite end, others in the Christian circles clung to Romans thirteen one that says, Let everyone be subject to their governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. As much as the world was divided, even believers were Christ followers and the people who loved God were divided on what the right thing to do was. And when this happens, the only thing, the only right thing to do is turn to God. And that is just what I did. And I prayed. What am I to do? I need you right now, Lord. I don't know what is right. If being vaccinated is your will, I will, if that's my protection. On the other hand, if you need to protect me from the vaccination, Then I need only the confidence to know that it is your will. And I also need the courage to stand up against the pressures of those who demand that I get it. It was just another day of opening up my Bible that morning, and I turned to the book of Colossians, chapter two, which happened to just be the next chapter in my reading plan. And as I came across Colossians 2 20, I literally shook. The words jumped off the page and right to my soul. When you don't have a relationship with God, this may seem like an exaggeration or a coincidence, but I'm telling you, you know when you know when you know that God wants to tell you something, and this is what Colossians two, verse 20 says. Since you died with Christ and to the elemental forces of this world, why then, as though you still belong to it, do you submit to its rules? Are you kidding me? It's right there. I can't tell you anything else I read that day, but I can tell you that that verse ushered out every fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. I could confidently say I am choosing not to get vaccinated. I really felt that was God's message to me from God. That day I learned something I will never forget. When everything around me is shouting opinions, God's word cuts through. With clarity and peace. But we have to be listening. And you know what else is cool? How many people I got to tell that story to. And how many of you might be listening? And I'm not telling you that guilt, you if you got the vaccination, I believe you did what you believed was best. And if you chose not to get the vaccination, I have to trust that you believed what you believed was best. All I can tell you is I needed God to give me confidence. And that verse that day. Is exactly what I needed to hear. I want you to learn why his word is such a treasure trove of peace, love, joy, assurance, and a foundation that you can truly build your life on. So why can God do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine? Now we get to the verse that I think might be the most breathtaking promise in all of Scripture. Ephesians 3:20 and 21. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. If you can look that up and read it slowly, I strongly recommend it. But hone in on those words immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine. Not a little more, not twice as much, not even ten times as much, immeasurably more. That means exceedingly abundantly beyond all measure. The apostle Paul who wrote the book of Ephesians, he's trying to say whatever the biggest, most audacious thing is that you ever dared to do and ask God for, he can infinitely do beyond that. And notice what it says next, according to his power that is at work within. Us. Not according to our faith level, not according to how good we've been, according to his power, the same power that spoke galaxies into existence, the same power that knit you together in your mother's womb, that same power that raised Jesus from the dead. That power is at work in you right now, regardless of any mess you might be sitting with. Let me tell you what this verse is not saying. It is not saying God will give you everything you ask for. It's saying God has planned special for your life. The redemption, the restoration, the purpose, the freedom is so far beyond what your imagination can construct for yourself that if he showed you the finished picture right now, you'd be undone. There are so many people in scripture whose stories went further than anyone could have scripted. And I believe God allowed their stories to be written into Scripture, not only to give us hope, but to show us how amazing He is. Seriously, the Bible is so loaded with twists and turns that it keeps me on the edge of my seat. There are so many miraculous scenarios in the Bible that God is the only explanation for why and how things happened the way they did. Joseph was thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, left in prison and forgotten about. Then he became the second most powerful man in Egypt and saved an entire nation, including the brothers who betrayed him. His story was not over in the pit or the prison. It was just the beginning. And then there's Ruth, a widow from a foreign nation with nothing, who attached herself to a grieving mother in law and walked into an unknown future. She became the great grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ himself. Talk about immeasurably more. And Paul. I talk about Paul a lot because he wrote so many books in the New Testament. Paul was a man who hunted Christians and watched them die, whose past was soaked in blood. And he became such an incredible influence and one of the greatest missionaries that the world has ever seen. He wrote Ephesians 3:20 from a prison cell. He knew something about immeasurably more, to put those words on a page. And one more thing. It's one thing to read the Bible and stand in awe of the things that happened, the times and the events, but they're actually recorded in history as evidence has proven them. I have a bonus resource to recommend to you on this podcast, and it's a book by Lee Strobel. It's called A Case for Christ. If you're not a reader, there's even a movie about it. He's a professed atheist journalist who is mad that his wife found Jesus Christ. So he set out. To write his greatest story ever of his career and disprove Christianity. But due to his exhaustive and extensive research, he became a Christian himself. I've told you many times, I'm not a Bible scholar, a seminary graduate, or a theologian. I just promised God I would pursue the truth, and that's exactly what I did. Lee Strobel's book was instrumental to locking up any doubt I had about my faith, Christianity, and the validity of the Bible. I'll put links in the show notes. Highly recommending them, whether you're brand new or returning to the faith. Friends, I just want to remind you that this isn't the end of your story. This is the beginning of your rescue. If today's episode stirred something in you, would you please share it with someone who may feel stuck or hopeless? You never know how God might use it to spark freedom in their life. And you can reach me on all the social media platforms: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Substack at Sarah Annie Schneider. I also would encourage and ask if you're listening on a podcast, you would like or subscribe, give me five stars, or whatever you can do to increase the opportunity for more people to hear it. And as we close, remember you're not defined by your struggles. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. And we'll see you next week. Never forget to choose the better addiction. And let's be addicted to God.