I believe in God. It’s a bold statement for a senior in high school to make definitively, but I know Him personally. I witness His glory each day I drive to school; the magnificent sunrise is too awesome to be purely chance, too moving inside my inmost being to be attributed to a cosmic accident. I’ve climbed mountains in the Rockies, studied the biochemistry that is essential to life, and there is no doubt in my mind that the order and beauty that fills our natural world is attributable to a higher power.
His presence in my own life is undeniable. Just this past year, I was involved in a serious skiing accident. After flying off a jump in Wasau, Wisconsin, I landed headfirst on a rock, shattering my skull and penetrating my brain. I was rushed into emergency surgery, but even with the fortunate presence of a neurosurgeon on call, my recovery, and even life, was in doubt. But as my friends, family, and entire church began offering up prayers for me, my recovery sped up. Although I was not predicted to recover complete mental abilities for three months, I returned to my AP Physics class in two weeks, and ended up taking all three of my AP tests at the end of the year. There is nothing aside from the providence of God that caused me to recover, and I know of countless others whose lives have been saved by God.
The presence of a God is indisputable in my mind; “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” But this has been recognized by many cultures and societies across the ages, yet I believe that there is only one true God. What is the difference? I believe in the God of the Bible, the God who has the power to create the world in one stroke, the wisdom to know what’s best for us, holiness that is unapproachable, wisdom beyond compare, wrath that punishes sin for eternity, yet the love and grace to sacrifice everything for a fallen human race. Do I understand Him? Do I understand the eternal Yahweh, to whom every individual will be held accountable? No, but each day I live to honor and glorify him, I learn a bit more, and continue to be sanctified, becoming more like the Lord.
If God is who He says He is, then He demands our all. He demands our priorities, our efforts, our attention, our love, and our service. Is it narrow-minded to believe this? Perhaps. Is it offensive that the only way to salvation is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Probably. But the truth is the truth, regardless of who it offends. Simply sticking our heads in the sand and ignoring the God of the universe along with His standards will not erase the fact that He is the God of the universe, and that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. And I will.