HARD TIMES LEAD TO HARD QUESTIONS by Joni and Friends for Core Christianity
GNN Note – God does really well with “what” questions. – like the question Paul ask on the Road to Damascus “What do you want me to do?” Another great question to ask God, is “What do you want me to know about X?” / END
Hard times are part of the human condition. They come in various forms, degrees, and life stages to both the innocent and the guilty. Some struggles originate from false beliefs, misguided choices, or selfish behaviors, and others seem arbitrary. But none of our troubles surprise God. In John 16:33 Jesus warned his followers, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” As believers, we face a choice: Will I allow suffering to overwhelm me and drive me away from God? Or will I cry out to God in my distress and come to Christ, the overcomer?
WHY, GOD, WHY?
Why did a young mother’s legs have to be amputated after the bombing at the Boston Marathon? Why did a gunman open fire in a Charleston church one June evening killing nine innocent people? Why are forty-three young children diagnosed with cancer every day in America? Why was a mom saved alone while nine members of her family drowned when a tourist boat capsized in Branson, Missouri?
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We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
These tragedies make no sense to us. Attempts to explain them frequently lead to conflicting views about how God works in the world. For example, Rabbi Harold S. Kushner’s popular book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, describes God as a bystander who neither causes nor participates in any tragedy we might face. God’s only role is to come alongside us after the fact, according to Kushner. If this were true, how can we call God the Sovereign Ruler of the universe? Other contemporary authors such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens (known atheists) pit the scientific community against Christianity, declaring war on the very existence of God. Such suppositions are in conflict with the truths in God’s Word.
While Christians should be mindful of useful medical and scientific advances, we must remember whose we are and what we believe. It’s okay to wrestle with God’s truth, knowing he welcomes our questions.
