For the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to get something resembling a reason as to why bad things happen to good people. So far, I've mentioned that (1) God has a perspective that we don't have, so when He allows bad things to happen, we need to trust that He does so for our benefit, and (2) The reason bad things like death and disease happen at all is the sin of our hearts, so technically, the blame for tragedy in this world falls on us.
The last thing I want to mention is something I learned from watching Shadowlands, a movie about the love story of C.S. Lewis and his wife Joy. At the end of the movie, after Joy has died of cancer, Lewis says something that I think rings very true. "The pain now is part of the happiness then."
Basically, he's saying that the reason he felt pain when Joy died was because she made him happy, and to be free of the pain of losing her would mean to never experience the happiness that she gave him. We could say the same about the world in general. The reason that we experience pain when tragedies and disasters strike is because we can point to a time where things were good. Lewis felt pain at Joy's death because he experienced happiness in her life. A divorced husband feels pain because he experienced happiness in marriage. Parents of a sick child feel pain because they know the happiness of seeing the child happy and healthy.
There's an old saying that goes like this: "Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." We can debate on whether or not that statement is true; for some people avoiding the pain of loss is worth sacrificing the happiness that comes before. But either way, the point I want to make is that if God were truly mean, if He were "a mean kid with a magnifying glass," He would never have let us feel the happiness before. Lewis would never have met Joy, the divorced husband would never have been married, and the parents would never have had children to begin with. And to me, that would be more cruel than letting them feel that happiness for a little while.
The reason I've spent so much time on this topic is because it is one that I still wrestle with today. Roughly four years ago, my uncle was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and died a few months later. Every night while he was sick, I prayed for his healing--I begged, I bargained, and I screamed--but in the end, God saw fit to allow him to die. I struggled through my faith for a while after that. But at the end of it all I had to admit three things: (1) The only reason I hurt now is because I was that happy when he was alive, (2) God did not give him the cancer that killed him; he got the cancer because we live in a world where sin has brought death and disease to us, and no one, not even a good man, is immune to them, and (3) As much as I try, I can never know what eternal implications his death had on the world. For all I know, his death might be the one thing that saves thousands one day. I don't know, and I may never know, and because of that, I can't really speak to how fair or unfair his death was.
None of those answers made the pain of losing him any less. And to this day, there are moments where God and I have our discussions about it. But those answers did give me some perspective and help me accept his death. That, and the fact that no matter how bad the pain gets, God carries me all the way. I would have left everything--my future in the church, my ministry, even my faith--for the pain of my uncle's death. But God, in His grace, gave me the strength to endure. And now, looking back, though I don't understand all of it, I can see that God is with me because of His love, and that He will get me through even this.
As I said before, this is not meant to be the answer to all answers on why bad things happen. It's just an answer that seems to make sense to me. And I pray that somehow, it will bring some understanding and peace to you.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Answer Part 2.....
Last week, I tried to wrestle with the question of why bad things happen to good people. I said part of the answer is that we don't have the perspective that God has. He can see things that we can't, and what hurts today might be the one thing that helps us survive tomorrow. Thanks to those who commented; you gave me a broader perspective on the topic.
The second reason I came across of why good people so often meet tragedy is the fact that this is world is messed up. None of what we're experiencing right now is what we were designed for. Sickness, disease, death, natural disaster, war---none of these were in the schematics when God designed us and the world we would live in. In His foreknowledge, He knew that we would sin and leave Him, and in His grace, He decided to create us anyway. But we weren't meant to be where we are now, living an average of 75 years on this earth, forced to watch people suffer and die.
The worst part of it all is that it's our fault. God is not the one who causes death to happen; death happens because we sin and bring death on the world. Sickness and disease exist because God's standard has been fallen short of. This world is at unrest, flinging its hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes and tsunamis about because what it was designed for is not happening.
That's a bitter pill to swallow, especially things that occur out of our control. But it's the truth. We grow old, get sick, and die, because of the sin in our hearts. My first inclination is to shake my fist at God and demand, "Why?" But the sad truth is, if He took the time to give me an answer, He would say something similar to what Paul said to the church in Rome. "And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).
It isn't God who sends storms to ravage homes, it's sin. It isn't God who creates cancer to kill, it's sin. And it isn't God who brings death that pains us so much; it's sin. He has to punish sin; otherwise He would no longer be God. So if we really must point fingers at someone to blame hardship and heartache on, then we should point to ourselves.
This is why the grace of God is so important. Because despite the fact that sin has all but robbed us of our natural life, Jesus Christ provides us a way to save our spiritual life. We may experience death on Earth, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we can experience life the likes of which we can never imagine.
This reason isn't nearly as encouraging or comforting as last week's or next week's. But it would be wrong to ignore it, because it is true. We die because we sin. But, thanks to God, we can live because of Christ.
Please remember, this is not meant to be the answer to end all answers to such a hard question. This is just what got me through some very difficult times in my life. And hopefully, God can use it to help you.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
The second reason I came across of why good people so often meet tragedy is the fact that this is world is messed up. None of what we're experiencing right now is what we were designed for. Sickness, disease, death, natural disaster, war---none of these were in the schematics when God designed us and the world we would live in. In His foreknowledge, He knew that we would sin and leave Him, and in His grace, He decided to create us anyway. But we weren't meant to be where we are now, living an average of 75 years on this earth, forced to watch people suffer and die.
The worst part of it all is that it's our fault. God is not the one who causes death to happen; death happens because we sin and bring death on the world. Sickness and disease exist because God's standard has been fallen short of. This world is at unrest, flinging its hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes and tsunamis about because what it was designed for is not happening.
That's a bitter pill to swallow, especially things that occur out of our control. But it's the truth. We grow old, get sick, and die, because of the sin in our hearts. My first inclination is to shake my fist at God and demand, "Why?" But the sad truth is, if He took the time to give me an answer, He would say something similar to what Paul said to the church in Rome. "And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).
It isn't God who sends storms to ravage homes, it's sin. It isn't God who creates cancer to kill, it's sin. And it isn't God who brings death that pains us so much; it's sin. He has to punish sin; otherwise He would no longer be God. So if we really must point fingers at someone to blame hardship and heartache on, then we should point to ourselves.
This is why the grace of God is so important. Because despite the fact that sin has all but robbed us of our natural life, Jesus Christ provides us a way to save our spiritual life. We may experience death on Earth, but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we can experience life the likes of which we can never imagine.
This reason isn't nearly as encouraging or comforting as last week's or next week's. But it would be wrong to ignore it, because it is true. We die because we sin. But, thanks to God, we can live because of Christ.
Please remember, this is not meant to be the answer to end all answers to such a hard question. This is just what got me through some very difficult times in my life. And hopefully, God can use it to help you.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Answer to the Question....Well, my answer anyway...
A special thanks to all who prayed for my student last week. She was at school Friday unharmed and safe. Praise to God for His protection and hearing the prayers of His children.
I said I would talk more about this. To be honest, I'm not really very sure that I'm qualified to. I've wrestled with whether or not to approach this subject because of my own uncertainties concerning it. But, if nothing else, I feel I need to be honest with the people that read this. So here goes nothing...
People are always asking this, no matter how many answers we come up with. "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" Why do two loving people who want children so badly have to deal with a miscarriage? Why does a man who loves his family and loved by everyone have to be taken by cancer? Why is it that even those who do everything that they are supposed to do experience tragedy and heartache?
I won't be so arrogant as to say that I know why or that my answer should settle the matter once and for all. But what I can share with you are some thoughts that I have (at times) found comforting. I'll be honest, even saying I believe these things, I don't always act like I do. And in the midst of a tragedy, chances are these are the first things I'll forget. But they are things that, whether I actively take stock in them or not, are true.
First of all, when it comes to tragedy, I need to consider my perspective. When Job felt like he had enough misery and told God as much, God's response was "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (Job 38:4) Now, this is just Bransonology, but I like to think that God's tone here is not so much "How dare you speak to me like that" but more so "Oh Job, my son, You just don't see what I can see." Either way, the point is valid. God has a much more informed perspective on how the world works than we do, considering He created the world. So when God allows bad things to happen, it is because from where He sits, He understands that ultimately allowing this thing to happen will be better for everyone in the long run.
And we may never understand exactly how that works out. I'm reminded of the fable of a butterfly beating its wings and ultimately starting a tornado. The butterfly has no way of knowing how something as simple as beating its wings will eventually cause a cataclysmic storm that can destroy everything it touches. The butterfly may not even be near the storm when it occurs. But that doesn't change the magnitude of the effects of its beating wings. Likewise, we may never get why God allows what He does in this world. But that doesn't change the fact that He is doing it for our benefit. Remember, we're creation #1, His favorite, His masterpiece. Anything He does to us or allows to happen to us, whether pleasant or painful, is for our benefit.
This isn't even close to all I want to say about this topic, but I want to keep these posts down to a readable size. I'll talk more about his next time. Meanwhile, remember that we don't see what God sees, and if He allows something to happen, it is because the alternative would be so much worse.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
I said I would talk more about this. To be honest, I'm not really very sure that I'm qualified to. I've wrestled with whether or not to approach this subject because of my own uncertainties concerning it. But, if nothing else, I feel I need to be honest with the people that read this. So here goes nothing...
People are always asking this, no matter how many answers we come up with. "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" Why do two loving people who want children so badly have to deal with a miscarriage? Why does a man who loves his family and loved by everyone have to be taken by cancer? Why is it that even those who do everything that they are supposed to do experience tragedy and heartache?
I won't be so arrogant as to say that I know why or that my answer should settle the matter once and for all. But what I can share with you are some thoughts that I have (at times) found comforting. I'll be honest, even saying I believe these things, I don't always act like I do. And in the midst of a tragedy, chances are these are the first things I'll forget. But they are things that, whether I actively take stock in them or not, are true.
First of all, when it comes to tragedy, I need to consider my perspective. When Job felt like he had enough misery and told God as much, God's response was "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (Job 38:4) Now, this is just Bransonology, but I like to think that God's tone here is not so much "How dare you speak to me like that" but more so "Oh Job, my son, You just don't see what I can see." Either way, the point is valid. God has a much more informed perspective on how the world works than we do, considering He created the world. So when God allows bad things to happen, it is because from where He sits, He understands that ultimately allowing this thing to happen will be better for everyone in the long run.
And we may never understand exactly how that works out. I'm reminded of the fable of a butterfly beating its wings and ultimately starting a tornado. The butterfly has no way of knowing how something as simple as beating its wings will eventually cause a cataclysmic storm that can destroy everything it touches. The butterfly may not even be near the storm when it occurs. But that doesn't change the magnitude of the effects of its beating wings. Likewise, we may never get why God allows what He does in this world. But that doesn't change the fact that He is doing it for our benefit. Remember, we're creation #1, His favorite, His masterpiece. Anything He does to us or allows to happen to us, whether pleasant or painful, is for our benefit.
This isn't even close to all I want to say about this topic, but I want to keep these posts down to a readable size. I'll talk more about his next time. Meanwhile, remember that we don't see what God sees, and if He allows something to happen, it is because the alternative would be so much worse.
Feel free to comment or ask questions. I'm always here.
Keep Soaring,
B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)