So the another night I went to a friend's party and some people who did not believe in God started dissing Him verbally and asked if God was real why bad things happen like three year olds getting raped. They also showed anger at a God who would make them fallible. There are several responses. #1. We are not robots; people make stupid choices. We are not God and do not always see where justice is given in life to people who commit that horrible crime or any horrible crime. #2. God made us! We have a voice and power to "judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and the needy." How many people actively use their gifts and talents to actually do this-bring justice for those in need... ie. Volunteer, write letters to people in positions of authority and demand accountabilty, etc. ?
In the Garden of Eden God gave us dominion on earth and access to a relationship with God. With this relationship with God- now through Jesus- we can be led by God, the Holy Spirit, to fight injustice. Even if someone does not admit there is a God, surely they must realize we have the most reasonable brains to do something about injustice! Hello! Shouldn't we quit wasting money, time, and energy on stupid television shows and activities that take away time we could be fighting injustice or providing for our families and the ones we love? Shouldn't we quit self recriminating, nursing regrets and things that hurt our hearts like unforgiveness and step forward and live in the future instead of the past?
Now, I do not want to sound unsympathetic. I spent many years grieving and feeling sorry for myself even though I loved God. I had to get close to God and receive inner healing and His grace to get a good attitude to live my life without sinking into depressive behaviors (escaping into drink or too much television, food, etc.) But you know what, by God and His grace, I got over any blame or anger I had with God, looked at MY CHOICES AND RESPONSIBILITY, and got over it. By the grace of God and God willing I will determinedly and relentlessly go forward, not kick myself for the past, and make this world a better place. Hoorah!
Oh, the idea about me being responsible to stop bad things from happening instead of blaming God and not thinking to do anything to help Him change the awful things that happen came from a Covenant house letter- Covenant House takes in homeless children. When we walk with God and work, we can really make huge changes for the better. I hope and pray the body of Christ gets it more together and thank God for the successes.
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This is a great topic and one that often gets overlooked: If God is so good, then why does he allow bad to happen? And if God cares about me personally, then why hasn't he healed my illness or my disability yet? Sometimes the "gospel" that people hear first is one that sells God as being primarily a grantor of requests. As if to say, if you believe in God, then you have an all-powerful sidekick who will help you out in life. How do we reconcile God's love for us with the experiences we've had of prayers for healing or growth not being answered? Are we praying wrong? Are we not praying hard enough? Are we not faithful enough? These are hard questions that can seriously affect our relationship with God, the Body of Christ, and others.
Thankfully many of these questions are about to get addressed locally. A regional conference of John Piper's Desiring God will be coming to Hill Country Bible Church in northwest Austin, Friday October 17 (evening) and Saturday October 18 (morning). The topic is "Job: When the Righteous Suffer." The cost is $35, and you can register online at the link in the previous sentence.
If you are unfamiliar with John Piper, you might check out this video, in which he discusses the "prosperity gospel," a.k.a. the "health and wealth gospel." Piper is a pastor of a large church in Minneapolis, MN.
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