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Paul,
I believe this earthly life is full of ups and downs. We grow as Christians from both, and mature along the way. If we didn't experience pain or suffering in our lives, we would be unable to understand the nature of another's pain (walking a mile in another's shoes). I will say that I belive our God is generous, loving and merciful. I believe He gives us free will, but if we surrender all we have to Him, He will guide us lovingly along the paths of our lives. Bad things or situations happen, but how we choose to HANDLE them is up to us. We have God as our coach. What else do we need?
It's sort of like buying a red convertable. All of the sudden you notice how many people have one. By the same token, if one goes through the loss of a spouse, or job, one is more likely to have empathy and reach out to that person, than one who has never experienced it at all.
As Christians, God calls us to love one another. Period. If we truly have faith in God, we will know that God will provide exactly what we need, perhaps not we want, but what we need.
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Dear Paul,
Nice question. Probably lots of good answers.
The answer I've given most recently (and I believe Afton was there, so it must have been in Brakfast Club) is "to remind us that this isn't heaven" - no matter how blessed and happy we are in this world, there is a better world waiting for us - "better compared to what?"
And when bad things happen, we can say, "better compared to THIS, because he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
We wait for that day. In the meantime, we have God's work to do. We would be thrilled to be put out of that business, and we believe that will happen, but so far, not yet.
Christ lives in you,
Spencer the wonder hamster |
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Heidi |
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August 27, 2007 at 10:24am |
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I guess to me, the simple answer is just that this is where we are right now. I can look at the bad things that have happened to me and some I can say are directly related to other people's sin, some are related to my own sin, and others are accidents or strange coincidences, or just bad decisions I made that weren't necessarily sins but I just didn't know any better. To me, these are the facts of life. But, I definitely love how God has made good of whatever happened. He is the answer, for me, to the more important question, what happens after a bad thing happens? I embrace the faith, the hope and the love that comes from HIM that is there when the smoke clears.
For me, it was about learning how to appreciate the questions in life, and that there will be many that are un-answered for now. And, that I have to move on, even though some are un-answered. That really used to bug me that things were not complete, or come to closure. But somewhere along the way, God showed me how to change my mind about that. Sometimes I still stumble over it though. Then He reminds me. So, I keep walking with Him 'cause He know 'de way.
Peace Y'all |
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Kathy |
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August 27, 2007 at 10:44am |
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| Why do bad things happen? My opinion: They just do. It's an imperfect world. God can cause bad things (and good) if He so chooses, but most of the time, bad things just happen. I wrote a blog on this same question: Where Is God When I'm Hurting? I agree with you that it is all beyond our human understanding, but that we can trust that God is good and that He loves us and cares for us. This is such an important question, because it's one that everyone asks when times get bad, and there are so many cliche answers floating around! |
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Paul |
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August 27, 2007 at 1:16pm |
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Paul |
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August 27, 2007 at 1:25pm |
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| I sometimes wonder if there are "bad" things. Have you ever asked yourself the question, "who created evil?" and then contemplate "why"? Can we even begin to understand the depth of God's love unless we experience the opposite? I believe that our whole life is discovery of God's love if we choose to find it, which even 'Free will" and grace are more tools of discovering the depth of his love. |
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Hi, Paul,
I think Obi-wan has taught you well, young Jedi ...
Christ lives in you,
Spencer the wonder hamster |
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