Do I Have AI Expectation of the Natural God?

Like many people, I have jumped on the AI bandwagon. ChatGPT was my “bestie for the restie” until Perplexity came into the picture. I’m heavily involved in a “situationship” with Claude, and I can’t seem to stop communicating with Grammarly AI. And, don’t even get me started on the generative magic of Canva AI. These tools have made my life so efficient and productive. I can ask (and sometimes demand) anything and get it in a matter of seconds. If it’s not EXACTLY the way I want it, I tell the chat bot to fix it, and it works until its right.

It feeds my constant need for control and (dare I say) perfectionism, in an increasingly uncertain and chaotic world. What started with a mild flirtation with tasks like a simple To Do list has evolved into a complex network of large projects and lengthy writing tasks. (Side note- I didn’t use AI to write this, lol.)

I like AI because I can get what I want, when I want, without having to think about others’ feelings or how quickly they work compared to me. But because I’m human, I started to think about my relationship with AI, and the seeming simplicities of the bots versus my extremely complex relationship with God. 

Full disclosure moment- I love God. In Him, do I live, move, and have my being (Acts 17:28). But when I pray and wait…and wait and pray some more, it seems like God is taking His sweet precious time with taking care of what I need. There are days that I wish God would move with the expedience and efficiency of my AI bots. But to what end?

God was not “built” to serve me, rather, I was created by Him to serve Him. God is not at my beckon call. He is greater than me. There is a scripture that I often quote because it drives me nuts and comforts all at the time. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Translation- I’m not in charge and I don’t know everything.   

Our God is a masterful orchestrator. He simultaneously controls time and exists outside of it. He knows the beginning and the end. He sees more than we ever could and established his plans before we were even a thought in our parents’ minds. So why do I (human being, woman, and child of God) expect God to move when and how I want?

I cannot prompt God to do what I want or demand he correct the “errors” or “misunderstandings” when things happen in a way I don’t like. I am not God, and I have to remember that whenever I start to cling to that unrealistic sense of control. 

2 Peter 3:9 says,“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise as people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” In context, this scripture references the end times as Peter is telling the people that the Lord is coming back. I can only imagine how many people bombarded him with the question that, even we, want to know to this day. “When are you coming back, Lord?”

But what I think is interesting about this passage is the expression of God’s patience in a lengthy season of human time. God is not patient for the sake of being patient (even though patience is part of His character). There is purpose in His patience. His patience saves us from our own destruction. That’s a gift that many probably don’t even consider- that the only wise and loving God cares for our individual selves so deeply that He delays His return knowing He wants to be with us. The delay brings salvation, promotes growth, and enhances spiritual intimacy. 

This makes me think that placing AI expectations on God limits and obscures who God is. There is beauty in the waiting and there is glory in God’s purpose for our lives. 

So… can I make God do all the things that my chatbots do? The definitive answer is No. I can’t and you can’t either. But we can love and be loved by the God who is so great that AI couldn’t begin to craft anything so splendid. 

Let us pray.

Father God, forgive me for the times I’ve expected you to bend to my will and grandiose ideations. Your patience with me is unmatched and I’m grateful that you have established a plan for me that doesn’t align with my flawed and limited human capacity. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance as I grow in relationship with you, learning your ways and basking in your everlasting nature. Thank you for being greater than anything made by human hands. I submit to your expectations of me. In Jesus name, Amen