This is what Muhammad Ali theatrically said about himself when referring to his boxing skills as well as how others correspond in treating the human icons of success, whether it’s in academics, athletics, music, acting, philanthropy, wealth, modeling, politics, etc., Just fill in the blank to what people admire as having a sense of awe for in excelling at their skill or position in life.
What I find troubling in all this is that others can hate God while loving and appreciating the greatest of human potential which at their very best are merely human in comparison to God who can’t be outdone. God infinitely possesses such superior qualities, yet ironically, people are often repulsed by the idea of worshipping and honoring Him in His Omni greatness as exchanging His glory for those who are only image bearers, Romans 1:22-25, Psalms 8:3-5.
Another matter is that some of these secular values may be entertaining and add diversity to life but are not necessarily essential or critical to human existence as offering superficial value while treating the One as merely optional who has given such acclaimed heroes their life and breath.
It’s sad how others are willing to entrust their time, energy, and money in pursuit of those who can only offer such temporal benefits and ideals but it is God who gifts us with eternal things, as giving rather than merely receiving. However, some would rather place their gift on the human altar of excellence than to receive this greatest gift of all.
Not only that, but some can admire these people so greatly and never meet nor have a real relationship with them and thus it seems scandalous when God is personal, as with Jesus, in having a real relationship with us, yet exchange His person in favor of these applauded pseudo characters who take the center stage for a brief moment in time only to be replaced by new cast members as mostly leaving behind a faint and delible mark while booing the Director who made the entire human drama.
Furthermore, even when considering some of the greatest people in your life; it is God the Creator, who made such relationships possible as a part of His imprint in bestowing such love and care, and though these human relationships are essential and irreplaceable, somehow God who formed such a reciprocation is marginalized as rejected. Moreover, all people, including yourself, can let others down while God’s love, though sometimes misunderstood, is perfect and never fails, while ours is imperfect as evidenced as failing to fully love this great God.
Anyway you may be oblivious to the mechanism of how this all works but the Bible simply explains this problem as the natural tendency of our sinful nature, in bringing about this separation of enmity between God and ourselves as prone towards rebellion, resulting in mankind behaving like a wild brute of a beast in avoiding God through fight or flight, even though instinctively we should realize He is the giver of life in its fullness, John 10:10, Romans 5:10, 8:7, Matthew 11:28-30.
So not only is there a battle between the will and nature but it also becomes one of reason which becomes so unreasonable as unjustly unfounded on various grounds as to find such ad hoc excuses to hate God as the “Great I Am” in condemning Him without a rightful cause, John 15:17-25.
Just to think that in the aptitude of His all-powerful knowingness (omniscience) that He even allowed you to take such a position or make such a conclusion proves that He is not some tyrannical and overbearing ruler as giving you the right to accept or reject His Lordship. Thus, this sort of freedom speaks even more to a person’s condemnation over such wrongful condescension as this privilege allows for such rights in which we would find inexcusable and intolerable if we were treated accordingly, especially by those to whom we have nurtured in life.
Finally, there is no good reason to love others as God or place yourself above God as He humbled Himself as a little lower than the angels to exalt you, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 2:14-18. Furthermore, there is no excuse to maintain such anger as God pursues to reconcile you unto Himself, and therefore, I can only hope that you will become reconcilable towards Him, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.
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