Still not convinced God=Love?
Part One- An Intro to Suffering
As I sought out the answer to this question that I knew so many struggle with everyday, I prepared myself for a difficult journey, willing and ready to put lots of work into it, because I knew with very little doubt that this was going to be a toughie. I have learned so much through this study, the most of which being that the answers are everywhere. Literally! I sorta began to feel overwhelmed because I had so much material to choose from. God tells us that if we begin the search for Him, we will certainly find the answers we want and desperately need.
I hope you just so happen to be knocking, because God is going to blow minds when He answers the door.
God used SO many people in the Bible, beginning to end, to explain suffering. What suffering is; all the ways it can vary; why it happens. In the Bible we find many, MANY real-life examples, each with its own unique situation and story, but more importantly, each holds a lesson that we can take and apply to our own suffering. Possibly the hardest to grasp: how do we handle the suffering when it comes? And probably the most comforting of all, (at least for me): God. Acknowledges. That. Suffering. HURTS. What? I know. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.
Please don’t miss this huge truth!! There were times where Jesus Himself WEPT. Yes, cried like a small child, in His Holy flawlessness. “So you say this Jesus dude could perform miracles, died and came back to life, and was the God of the Universe in the flesh, saw a friend die and actually cried?” YES. I am. For the Bibleee tells me soooo. But really ponder that for a moment. I’m being serious. Take at least 3 minutes, close your eyes, and imagine a full grown man that has never sinned in His life, (by the way, this means the human man never even THOUGHT a lustful thought) and is soon going to endure the most excruciating, prolonged execution for people that hate Him, and here He is, hurting and possibly feeling very alone, crying like a baby. Hm. And some think real men don’t cry.
Let me get real with you for a sec. This time on earth is not meant to be the happy side of life. Maybe you’ve been keeping a trapdoor over your heart, and the key, hanging from its untouched resting hook has begun to rust. Think about what it could mean if you begin cleaning off the corrosion and opened yourself up to yes, new and very vulnerable circumstances, but even more, what overshadows that vulnerability: freedom. Can you just imagine what the “good side” of ‘life’ holds for you if you give yourself to Him?? You may not, so we will talk about that later. That’s when it gets really good. As for now, we will first continue trying to make sense of the confusing, messy, not-so-good stuff.
We know (some of us all too familiar with it than others) that with life, there come times of sadness. Long or short, ‘mild’ or extreme. But just like there is a time to dance and sing, there is also a time to mourn, be filled with sadness, disappointment, and even anger. (The book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the Bible goes into beautiful, really exciting detail about this; some of y’all may be picturing the best, most awesome speech EVER, given by good ol’ Ren MacCormack in the Bomont courtroom fighting for the freedom to dance mightily!) But what Solomon is telling us in Ecclesiastes 3 is that just like the times of dancing and celebration, the complicated, distressing times come with life and are sadly, unavoidable. He is also showing us that to have the emotions that naturally come with those times are okay, and are just things that come with this side of life. Another way we know this because of yes, times that Jesus wept.
Still not sure?
Okay, so say you are not exactly at the point of really understanding all of this quite yet. Your question (or one of many) may begin with the most commonly asked question of them all. If there is a so-called God out there that is supposedly filled and made of nothing but “love” for us, why the heck does our world look the way it does?
-Why do countries burn in hate for other countries, thus pushing them to do disastrous things like send planes into buildings of hardworking, good people just going about their day? Maybe one, having just received that anticipated promotion on the 79th floor?
-Why does a precious, innocent ballerina get killed by a drunk driver before she lives to perform her first recital?
-Speaking of drunk drivers, why do we have them?
-Why do vast hurricanes, wild fires, tsunamis, and tornado breakouts kill, injure, and displace millions of innocent people?
-How are there people that a “LOVING GOD” allegedly created that can walk into a completely random place and take target practice at innocent children, families, servicemen, and do so with not only a complete lack of conviction or hesitation, but seemingly get a sick satisfaction out of the blood on his hands?
FIRST, we must address who God is. What do you see Him as? You can’t fully understand sin, suffering, or healing until you know the truth of who He is. That is where we are going to light the torch in beginning this journey in answering the question “still not convinced God is love?” The next post will be the first chapter as this question begins to transform into the answers God is incredibly stoked to bring to life before our eyes.
Praying everyone has a wonderful CHRISTmas!!
dazzle & daisies 