Author: Richard L. Fricks

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “Dependent on God’s Presence”, promises that believers can “walk and not be faint” by remaining dependent on God’s constant presence, claiming that those who walk faithfully will be “secure in the knowledge that he is with us” and that God will alert believers when their decisions aren’t aligned with his will.

Here’s what walking faithfully and depending on God’s constant presence actually delivered:

“Walk faithfully before him,” his pastor advised confidently. “God is always there, guiding. He’ll alert you whenever your common-sense decisions aren’t in accordance with his will. You don’t need to constantly ask ‘Lord, tell me what to do’—just trust in his presence and walk secure in that knowledge.”

David was starting his small business and desperately wanted divine guidance for the overwhelming decisions ahead. The promise of God’s constant presence providing reliable guidance seemed far better than the uncertainty of conventional business planning and market research.

David embraced this spiritual framework completely. Instead of conducting market research or seeking professional business advice, he “walked faithfully” and waited for divine alerts when his intuitive choices weren’t aligned with God’s will. He believed the reality of God’s presence would provide better guidance than conventional business planning.

For the first year, David interpreted every positive outcome as confirmation of divine guidance and every setback as God’s mysterious plan. When a major client cancelled their contract, he remained “secure in God’s presence” rather than analyzing what went wrong. When cash flow problems emerged, he trusted divine guidance rather than consulting financial advisors.

But the promised divine presence was a business-destroying delusion.

God’s constant guidance never provided practical business solutions. David’s company struggled while he waited for spiritual alerts about wrong decisions that never came. His faith in divine presence prevented him from taking necessary corrective actions based on market feedback and financial realities.

Meanwhile, David’s friend Lisa launched her consulting business using entirely different principles. Lisa conducted thorough market research, sought advice from successful entrepreneurs, developed realistic business plans, continuously adjusted strategies based on client feedback and financial data.

Lisa didn’t expect divine presence to guide business decisions but relied on professional networks, industry knowledge, evidence-based planning. When problems arose, she addressed them immediately through practical solutions rather than waiting for spiritual guidance.

When David’s business finally failed after two years, he felt spiritually shattered. Where was the divine presence that was supposed to provide constant guidance? Where were the alerts when his decisions weren’t aligned with God’s will?

David’s breakthrough came when he realized that successful business required human expertise, not spiritual dependence. Lisa’s thriving consulting practice was built on professional competence and practical decision-making, not faith in divine presence providing guidance.

The silence where God’s constant presence was supposed to manifest revealed the truth: there was no divine guidance available for business decisions. Only human expertise, market research, and evidence-based planning that actually worked when consistently applied.

Reflection Question: When has relying on professional expertise and evidence-based planning been more effective than trusting in divine presence for guidance?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “Authority over the Believer”, promises that believers who recognize Jesus’s “moral authority” will experience instant, eager obedience based on love, claiming that Christ’s life “created inside” believers produces automatic recognition of his “right to absolute authority” and that God educates people through those who are “holily better.”

Here’s what instant obedience to claimed spiritual authority actually delivered:

“Jesus has absolute authority over believers,” Pastor Robert explained to his leadership training class. “When you truly see the Lord, you can’t help but obey. Resistance to spiritual authority reveals unworthiness. God educates us through people who are ‘holily better’ until we learn proper submission.”

Seminary student Michael embraced this teaching completely. When senior pastors made decisions he questioned, he suppressed his concerns, believing that resistance revealed spiritual immaturity. When church leaders demanded unpaid labor and unquestioning compliance, Michael submitted eagerly, convinced this demonstrated his love for Christ through recognizing moral authority.

For two years, Michael accepted increasingly problematic behavior from church leadership—financial secrecy, emotional manipulation, authoritarian control—because he believed questioning spiritual authority meant rejecting Jesus himself. His instant obedience was supposedly evidence of spiritual growth and recognition of Christ’s worthiness.

But the promised spiritual development through submission was spiritual abuse disguised as discipleship.

Instead of growing in grace, Michael became anxious, spiritually confused, unable to distinguish between legitimate guidance and manipulation. His eager obedience to claimed spiritual authority enabled abuse rather than demonstrating love for Jesus. The moral authority he was recognizing was actually human manipulation using religious language.

Meanwhile, Michael’s friend Sarah approached spiritual community with zero assumption that religious leaders automatically represented Christ’s moral authority. When Sarah encountered controlling religious figures, she evaluated their behavior against principles of healthy leadership and ethical conduct.

Sarah’s approach involved questioning authority figures, seeking multiple perspectives, refusing to submit to demands that violated her conscience or wellbeing. She didn’t believe that spiritual maturity required instant obedience to human leaders claiming divine authority.

When Michael’s church leadership was eventually exposed for financial fraud and emotional abuse, he realized his spiritual submission had enabled harm rather than honoring Christ.

Where was the moral authority that was supposed to be worthy of instant recognition? Where was the spiritual growth that came from obeying those who were “holily better”?

Sarah’s supposedly “unworthy” resistance to problematic authority had protected her from manipulation that Michael’s “worthy” submission had facilitated.

Michael’s breakthrough came when he learned to distinguish between appropriate respect for legitimate leadership and the unhealthy submission that controlling religious figures demand. The moral authority that actually deserved recognition wasn’t claimed divine representation but demonstrated ethical conduct and transparent accountability.

The silence where Christ’s absolute authority was supposed to manifest through human leaders revealed the truth: there was no divine authority operating through spiritual manipulation. Only human power dynamics that required healthy boundaries, not eager submission.

Reflection Question: When has questioning authority been more spiritually healthy than assuming spiritual leaders represent Christ’s moral authority?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “The Mystery of Believing”, promises that believers can experience instant spiritual transformation through “the miracle of the redemption,” claiming that when “Jesus Christ appears” to someone, they must choose total obedience or risk “signing the death warrant of the Son of God” in their soul.

Here’s what waiting for miraculous transformation through encountering Jesus actually delivered:

“When Christ appears to you, everything changes in a moment,” the revival evangelist declared with electric intensity. “You’ll experience the miracle of redemption. Choose total obedience, or you’ll sign the death warrant of God’s Son in your soul.”

Jake had hit absolute rock bottom with heroin addiction—stealing from family, lying constantly, living on the streets. His sister brought him to this revival meeting promising instant transformation through encountering Jesus. Surely divine encounter would break his addiction and create immediate obedience to God.

Jake desperately wanted this supernatural transformation. He went forward during the altar call, prayed for Jesus to appear to him, waited for the promised instant change from addict to devoted slave of the Lord. The miracle of redemption would solve what years of struggle couldn’t.

But the miraculous transformation was a cruel fantasy.

Jake left the revival feeling temporarily inspired but returned to using drugs within days. His addiction continued despite multiple spiritual encounters and repeated altar calls. The instant obedience that was supposed to flow from meeting Jesus remained completely absent when he needed it most.

Meanwhile, Jake’s friend Maria approached recovery with zero expectation of miraculous redemption. When Maria’s alcoholism destroyed her marriage and career, she didn’t wait for divine encounters but entered a residential treatment program that addressed addiction as a medical and psychological condition requiring sustained intervention.

Maria’s recovery involved no instant transformation or divine appearances. She worked through the twelve steps with a sponsor, attended daily group therapy, learned practical coping strategies, rebuilt her life gradually through evidence-based treatment and community support.

When Jake finally entered the same treatment program after his third overdose, he discovered that recovery required daily choices, professional guidance, ongoing support—not miraculous transformation through encountering Jesus.

Where was the instant spiritual transformation that meeting Christ was supposed to provide? Where was the miracle of redemption that would create total obedience and break his addiction?

The sustained sobriety that actually worked came through human community and medical intervention, not divine encounters. Jake’s breakthrough came when he stopped waiting for spiritual miracles and started using proven recovery methods that addressed addiction’s neurological and psychological components.

The transformation that mattered wasn’t supernatural but practical—learning to live without substances through human support, evidence-based treatment, and gradual rebuilding of healthy life patterns.

The silence where miraculous redemption was supposed to manifest revealed the truth: there was no divine encounter creating instant obedience. Only human methods and community support that actually worked when consistently applied over time.

Reflection Question: When has gradual change through professional treatment been more effective than seeking instant transformation through spiritual encounters?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “The Miracle of Belief”, promises that gospel preaching produces “the miracle of belief” through “the sheer, unaided power of God” rather than human eloquence, claiming that preachers who avoid impressive speech allow “the power of the redemption” to flow through them and that Jesus being “lifted up” will “draw all people” to himself.

Here’s what relying on divine power instead of human communication skills actually delivered:

“Don’t rely on eloquence or personality,” his seminary professor warned earnestly. “The sheer, unaided power of God produces belief through simple gospel preaching. Avoid anything that might hinder God’s word from flowing through you. Let the creative power of redemption do its work.”

Pastor Tom felt called to plant a new church and embraced this approach completely. Instead of developing engaging sermon delivery or connecting personally with potential members, he focused solely on presenting biblical content without embellishment. He deliberately avoided charisma or persuasive techniques, believing that God’s power would draw people to himself through plain gospel proclamation.

For months, Tom preached to nearly empty rooms, convinced that his lack of eloquence was allowing divine power to work unhindered. When visitors didn’t return, he attributed it to spiritual resistance rather than his ineffective communication. The miracle of belief would occur once people heard the unadorned gospel message.

But the promised divine drawing power was completely absent.

Tom’s church plant failed to grow despite his faithful avoidance of human persuasion techniques. His plain delivery and lack of personal connection actually prevented people from engaging with his message. The creative power of redemption that was supposed to work through simple preaching was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, Tom’s friend Pastor Maria approached church planting with zero expectation of divine power bypassing human communication skills. Maria worked systematically to develop effective preaching, built genuine relationships with community members, addressed practical needs alongside spiritual topics.

Maria’s approach included exactly what Chambers warned against—using her natural personality, developing persuasive communication skills, connecting personally with people. She didn’t avoid eloquence but cultivated it to serve her message more effectively.

When Maria’s church thrived while Tom’s failed, he felt spiritually confused. Had he been too faithful to avoiding human techniques? Was his lack of charisma somehow hindering God’s power rather than allowing it?

Where was the sheer, unaided power of God that was supposed to produce belief through simple preaching? Where was the creative power of redemption that would work when human personality was removed?

Tom’s breakthrough came when he realized that effective communication required human skills, not divine bypassing of personality and eloquence. The people who connected with Maria’s ministry weren’t drawn by miraculous divine power but by her authentic relationships and relevant teaching.

The silence where God’s miracle of belief was supposed to manifest revealed the truth: there was no divine power working through plain preaching. Only human communication skills and genuine relationships that actually connected with people’s real needs and interests.

Reflection Question: When has developing your natural communication abilities been more effective than trying to remove personality from your message?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “Spiritual Honor”, promises that believers can develop an “overwhelming sense of indebtedness to Jesus Christ” that creates spiritual obligation to evangelize everyone, claiming that recognizing you were “bought at a price” creates spiritual honor compelling believers to become “broken bread and poured-out wine” for Christ.

Here’s what spiritual obligation to evangelize everyone actually delivered:

“You owe Jesus everything,” the evangelism leader declared emphatically. “Every bit of your life’s value comes from his redemption. The spiritual honor of your life is to pay this debt by preaching to everyone—wise and foolish, believer and unbeliever. You must become broken bread and poured-out wine for him.”

Michael embraced this framework of spiritual indebtedness completely. He felt overwhelming obligation to evangelize everyone he encountered—coworkers, neighbors, family members, even strangers in coffee shops. His sense of being “bought at a price” drove him to see every conversation as opportunity to manifest Christ’s redemption in others’ lives.

For months, Michael spent himself in constant evangelistic activity. He joined every outreach program, participated in street evangelism, pressured friends and family to accept Jesus. His spiritual honor demanded that he become an “absolute slave” to this gospel obligation, regardless of how others responded.

But the promised spiritual fulfillment was a relationship-destroying disaster.

Michael’s relationships deteriorated as people began avoiding his constant evangelistic pressure. His family members stopped inviting him to gatherings because every interaction became gospel presentation. His coworkers complained to HR about his inappropriate workplace proselytizing. The spiritual debt he was trying to pay was destroying his ability to actually love people.

Meanwhile, Michael’s friend Carlos approached helping others with zero motivation from spiritual indebtedness. As a social worker, Carlos didn’t feel gospel obligation requiring evangelistic payback but simply wanted to address practical needs in his community. He volunteered with homeless services, tutored struggling students, advocated for immigrant families.

Carlos’s service wasn’t driven by obligation to spiritual creditor but by genuine compassion and professional calling. He didn’t see people as evangelistic targets but as human beings deserving dignity and practical support. His help came without strings attached or hidden evangelistic agendas.

When Michael’s evangelistic zeal finally destroyed his relationship with his teenage son—who refused to speak to him after months of relentless gospel pressure—he realized his spiritual obligation had damaged rather than demonstrated Christ’s love.

Where was the spiritual honor that was supposed to come from paying his debt to Jesus? Where was the freedom that came from being an absolute slave to evangelistic obligation?

Michael’s breakthrough came when he stopped trying to pay spiritual debt through evangelism and started simply caring for people without evangelistic expectations. The meaningful service that actually helped others came through listening to their real needs rather than imposing his spiritual agenda.

The silence where spiritual fulfillment was supposed to emerge from evangelistic obligation revealed the truth: there was no debt to Jesus requiring payment through constant preaching. Only human relationships that deserved respect and genuine care without religious manipulation.

Reflection Question: When has serving others without evangelistic expectations been more effective than feeling obligated to share your faith with everyone?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “The Price of Vision”, promises that God deliberately removes human heroes and relationships (our “King Uzziahs”) so he can take his rightful place in believers’ lives, claiming that the ability to “see God” depends on character purification through loss.

Here’s what seeking divine vision through accepting loss as purification actually delivered:

“God had to remove your King Uzziah so he could take his rightful place in your life,” her grief counselor at church explained with spiritual certainty. “Your ability to see the Lord depends on your character. This loss is God’s way of purifying you so that nothing else matters except him.”

Jessica had lost her mentor and close friend Dr. Patricia in a car accident. The grief felt like drowning in concrete, but spiritual guidance promised that accepting this loss as divine character-building would lead to greater spiritual vision and divine revelation.

Jessica tried desperately to embrace this framework for her devastating grief. Instead of allowing herself to fully mourn Dr. Patricia’s death, she searched for signs that God was revealing himself through the loss. She forced herself to see the tragedy as divine purification rather than random accident that had taken someone precious.

For months, Jessica suppressed her anger and sorrow, believing these emotions revealed inadequate spiritual character. She told herself that grieving too deeply meant she’d made Dr. Patricia an idol. The promised divine vision would come once she learned to seek “none but God” through accepting this spiritual purification process.

But the spiritual vision was a grief-destroying lie.

Instead of seeing God more clearly through the loss, Jessica became increasingly depressed and spiritually numb. The attempt to view her friend’s death as divine character-building felt like betrayal of their relationship and dismissal of genuine grief. No divine revelation emerged from trying to minimize her human attachments.

Meanwhile, Jessica’s coworker Mark approached his own loss with zero expectation of divine vision through character purification. When his father died unexpectedly, Mark didn’t interpret the death as God removing a human hero but as natural tragedy requiring human support and professional help.

Mark sought grief counseling, joined a bereavement support group, allowed himself to feel the full impact of losing someone irreplaceable. His healing process involved honoring his father’s memory while rebuilding life around the permanent absence.

Where was the divine vision that was supposed to come through accepting loss as God’s purification? Where was the spiritual character-building that would make “none but God” important?

When Jessica finally abandoned the spiritual interpretation of her loss and sought actual grief counseling, she learned that healthy mourning honors rather than minimizes important relationships. The vision that actually helped wasn’t seeing God through character purification but seeing her grief as natural response to losing someone deeply loved.

Jessica’s breakthrough came through memorializing Dr. Patricia’s mentorship by establishing a scholarship fund for women in medicine. The meaning she found didn’t require God removing human heroes but came through celebrating and continuing Dr. Patricia’s impact on others’ lives.

The silence where divine revelation was supposed to emerge through loss revealed the truth: there was no spiritual vision waiting behind grief. Only human love that deserved honor and human grief that required support, not spiritual interpretation.

Reflection Question: When has honoring and continuing someone’s legacy been more healing than viewing their loss as divine character-building?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “The Spiritual Society”, promises that believers can “reach unity in the faith” and realize Jesus Christ in their shared church life, claiming that focusing on relationship with Christ naturally builds up the “body of Christ” and creates unified spiritual community.

Here’s what seeking unity through shared spiritual focus actually delivered:

“We’re here to realize Jesus Christ in our shared life,” Pastor David proclaimed confidently. “Focus on your relationship with Christ, and you’ll naturally build up the body. Our goal is God himself, not personal benefits. This spiritual focus will create the unified community Christ intends.”

His congregation embraced this vision of spiritual society enthusiastically. Members committed to prioritizing their relationship with Jesus above personal preferences and organizational concerns. They established prayer groups, accountability partnerships, worship experiences designed to foster unity through shared spiritual focus.

But the promised spiritual society was a community-destroying delusion.

Despite intense focus on Christ-centered relationships, the church remained bitterly divided over worship styles, budget priorities, leadership decisions. Members who claimed to prioritize God above personal desires still lobbied aggressively for their preferred programs and approaches. The unity that was supposed to emerge from shared faith never materialized.

Meanwhile, the Unitarian congregation across town approached community building with zero expectation of spiritual unity through religious focus. They worked systematically to create inclusive, functional community through clear communication processes, conflict resolution procedures, and decision-making structures that honored diverse perspectives.

The Unitarians didn’t claim to realize Christ in their shared life but focused on practical values like justice, compassion, mutual respect. Their community building involved extensive listening sessions, demographic analysis, intentional efforts to include marginalized voices in leadership.

When Pastor David’s church split over the worship leader’s contemporary music preferences, he felt devastated. How could people focused on their relationship with Christ become so divided over practical matters? The spiritual society he’d envisioned had fractured despite everyone’s commitment to putting God first.

Where was the unity in faith that shared spiritual focus was supposed to create? Where was the body of Christ that would emerge from prioritizing relationship with Jesus?

The Unitarian congregation had successfully navigated multiple challenging decisions through their systematic approach to community building. Their unity wasn’t based on shared spiritual focus but on agreed-upon processes for working through differences respectfully.

David’s breakthrough came when he realized that effective community required practical skills—communication, compromise, project management, conflict resolution—not just spiritual commitment. The unity that actually worked came through human effort and organizational competence, not through shared religious devotion.

The silence where spiritual society was supposed to emerge revealed the truth: there was no divine unity waiting to be realized through faith. Only human community-building skills that actually worked when consistently applied to real organizational challenges.

Reflection Question: When has practical community-building been more effective than expecting spiritual unity to emerge from shared religious focus?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.

This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “The Spiritual Saint”, promises that “spiritual saints” can know Jesus Christ and realize his life “in any and every circumstance” through “reckless abandonment,” viewing every moment as a “God-sent opportunity for gaining knowledge of Christ” and manifesting their Lord even through menial tasks.

Here’s what seeking to know Christ through reckless abandonment to circumstances actually delivered:

“Don’t view this as just work,” her small group leader encouraged earnestly. “See every moment as God-sent opportunity to know Christ. Enthrone Jesus in your cleaning work. The Holy Spirit will help you manifest him through even menial tasks.”

Maria had taken a job cleaning office buildings to support her family after her husband’s disability left them financially desperate. Working night shifts scrubbing toilets and emptying trash felt degrading after her previous career as a teacher, but spiritual guidance promised transformation through embracing these circumstances as divine opportunities.

Maria tried desperately to see each menial task as spiritual advancement. She prayed while mopping floors, seeking to know Christ through her circumstances. Surely this humbling work was God’s way of developing her spiritual sainthood through reckless abandonment to whatever he sent her way.

But the promised spiritual realization was cruel self-deception.

Long hours of physical labor left Maria exhausted rather than spiritually enriched. The repetitive, isolating work provided zero meaningful connection to Christ or divine purpose. Her attempts to enthrone Jesus in cleaning tasks felt forced and hollow when facing inadequate wages and exploitative working conditions.

Meanwhile, Maria’s coworker Carmen approached the same job with zero expectation of spiritual transformation through menial labor. Carmen saw cleaning work as temporary necessity while completing her nursing degree at night. She didn’t seek to manifest Christ through toilet scrubbing but focused on earning money for education and supporting her children.

Carmen used work time efficiently, took breaks when needed, advocated with their supervisor for better supplies and safer cleaning chemicals. She didn’t view every circumstance as God-sent opportunity but as situations requiring practical responses and strategic planning.

When Maria developed chronic back pain from inadequate equipment and poor working conditions, her small group leader suggested she wasn’t truly embracing the spiritual opportunity. But Carmen helped Maria understand their rights as workers and connected her with a union representative who actually improved their working conditions.

Where was the knowledge of Christ that was supposed to come through reckless abandonment to circumstances? Where was the Holy Spirit manifesting Jesus through menial work?

Maria’s breakthrough came when she stopped trying to find Christ in exploitative work and started using her job strategically to fund her return to education. The meaningful purpose she sought didn’t come through spiritual sainthood but through treating work as means to achieve realistic goals.

The knowledge of Christ that actually sustained Maria came through her church’s social justice ministry, where she worked to improve conditions for low-wage workers—not through trying to spiritualize her own exploitation.

The silence where divine opportunity was supposed to manifest revealed the truth: there was no spiritual realization to be found in accepting exploitation as God-sent. Only strategic action and collective organizing that actually created change.

Reflection Question: When has treating work strategically rather than seeking spiritual meaning in all circumstances been more effective for achieving your goals?

This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.