Some people are challenged when confronted with illness, road trauma, wars, crime & personal distress and ask “where is God amongst the madness”?
Times like the present or the disasters of September 11 when many innocent people died can raise personal doubts about faith and the existence of an all powerful, loving God. Why does He allow these things to happen? Why is there suffering? If He loves us, doesn’t He want to protect the innocent?
Well - God is love. He created this world and the earth with a vision of peace. His purpose is for all people on the earth to bring Him glory.
With God’s vision - He would not be satisfied if He had created beings who were programmed to do what He said and wanted. He therefore gave each person the ability to choose between listening to Him or following each one’s own heart. He gave us a free will.
Unfortunately, many people choose to follow one’s own heart. That doesn’t mean that they are bad people. It does mean however that unless they choose to listen to God that they will continue to be separated from Him.
Free will is central to understanding therefore why God doesn’t intervene each time something bad happens.
Mankind made a number of choices and some of these have not been to the benefit of humanity. We can see that throughout history…..whether it was the terrible actions of the Nazi regime or whether it is the significant deforestation to enable production of other income driving activities. We have not been, in all instances, good custodians of the earth.
You might be thinking…..they are pretty black and white examples. But what about the millions upon millions of people who innocently go about trying to be good people. Why are they so frequently impacted.
Again, it comes back to choices that people have made leading to fractures in society. Greed, misdirected passion, crimes, wars, diseases and a mentality that is largely focussed on looking out for number 1 - ourselves. Unfortunately, these have impacted our ability to find true meaning…..true meaning in the sense that we need an ongoing relationship with God.
It was written earlier that God is love. He has provided a way for all humans to connect with Him. This is through His son, Jesus Christ. ‘God loves us so much that He was willing to give His only son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for us. Whoever believes in Jesus will gain true life’ (paraphrased from John 3:16). Jesus himself said that ‘greater love has no man than this….that he lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13).
God wants each of us to turn to Him. It may not allay the challenges we face in the world, it does provide us with comfort and a knowledge that God will restore peace and order. In the future, those who have been reconciled to God (through Jesus), will be brought together in a world full of love, joy and a desire to give all glory to God.
If you would like to know more about being reconciled to God or to join a Bible study group, click here: