God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. – Genesis 1:31

You’ve heard people bemoan, “that’s just human nature”, as if it will never change. But that’s not how we started out. We were very good. What if that’s our default setting, our resting place, and this broken world we’re living in is the anomaly? Let’s look at this from a few different angles.

Workplace

I’ve had a few senior positions in organizations and I worked really hard to shape the culture. But after I left, I noticed that these organizations quickly swung back to how they were before I came. Only my hard work created a different atmosphere, and the moment I stop it begins to revert back.

It’s like the whole organization is hanging on a string from the top leader. If I pull on the string, the organizations shifts. But as soon as I let go, it naturally goes back to its original position.

If someone joined an organization while I was running it, they’d think it had always been that way. In fact, after I left, they might perceive the original culture as the temporary change, and not believe it was legitimate.

Religion

There are countries where people believe they are born Muslim. They can’t convert to Christianity, or any other religion, because it’s not changeable: it’s always been a Muslim country, so they are always going to be Muslim. The best they can do is layer Christianity on top of their Muslim roots. But when things get tough, they’re going back to what they know is their true foundation.

In many of these countries, there are visible signs of old church buildings, cemeteries, etc. that show that Christianity was the dominant religion of their people hundreds of years before Islam was introduced. But they are so used to what they believe that they just let that be an awkward mystery.

Again, often someone worked really hard to make the original change, like conquering the land, and continues to work really hard to keep Islam in place. It’s not the people’s natural peaceful resting state.

Environment

There are so many examples of how our planet recovers from natural or human-caused disasters. As soon as the trauma ends, the process of healing begins to take place on its own.

Creation’s tendency is to return to “very good”.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. – Romans 8:22

Human Nature

We’re all part of creation. So we were created “very good”. That’s our default, our normal setting, our original state. It’s what we used to expect from ourselves and others. But then we get hurt and settle into a more cynical view.

What if it’s the devil that has the difficult job? What if those poor demons are working themselves to the bone to keep us thinking the terrible state of this world is normal? What would happen if they took a day off?

Of course, each person still gets to choose how they respond to God. But I see so much good in people around me, so much of God’s nature, even if they don’t see it themselves. Maybe our job is to introduce them to the “unknown God” who they have always somehow known about.

For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ – Acts 17:23-24

Church

I love the church, and I find myself frustrated with the church. That sounds so distant. OK, sometimes I struggle with real people in real leadership positions doing things that really bug me. But also, I get overwhelmed by the state of the church in general. It looks like so much work to get back on track.

And yet, the people I know in church are lovely. Beautiful stories. Genuine hearts. We look good on Sunday mornings. Maybe we’re at our best, for an hour less distracted by the world, the flesh and the devil. We come together to worship God, our original purpose, our “normal” setting, our default posture.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 3:11

The church’s foundation is Jesus Christ. So when someone’s preaching is a little off, or someone’s prayer sounds worldly, I can find something to “amen!” at a heart level, trusting that Jesus will build his church, not matter how hard the demons are working to mess it up.

 I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. – Matthew 16:18

Me

I have to go back to people bugging me. What’s underneath that?

So I go through my normal routine of forgiving (Greek: releasing) them:

1. They owe me nothing (You are their Lord)
2. I owe them nothing (You are my Lord)
3. I bless them to multiply (what You’ve put in them that’s good)

Fifteen minutes and 35(!) names later, I am not aware of any little offense I’m still holding.

Three things happened to me during that exercise. One is that I feel free.

Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:13

The second is discovering what’s underneath. In every case, my posture is not that God is King. Somehow I’m responsible. Uh oh: my kingdom.

The third is that for the first time I released my flesh. It owes me nothing and I owe it nothing. Interesting experience to say that out loud.