Just a Thought

            Right now I am sick. This morning I woke up with a horribly scratchy throat, a voice that sounds like a bass guitar, a Niagara Falls nose (don’t spend too much time thinking about that), and a cough to wake the dead. It’s not very much fun. I wasn’t meant to live life like this. 

            But as I’ve gone on with my day… I’ve gotten used to it. It’s not abnormal anymore, and I don’t think twice before unwrapping a Hall’s or grabbing a tissue. It’s just me and my life.

            I know in the back of my mind what my body is going though is not normal. I shouldn’t be like this. But what I know in my mind doesn’t change the reality that I am sick and have to adjust accordingly.

            I look at the world and realize it’s the same way. Our world is sick. The symptoms are hunger, crime, disease, death, and pain in general. But we’ve gotten used to it, really. A hundred people slaughtered? We yawn. 50 people dead of a disease outbreak? We ask, “Is that it?”

            You get the point. 

            It’s so important for us to be able to look at our world and realize THIS IS NOT HOW THINGS SHOULD BE. Our world did not start like this, and this sickness will pass one day. The horrific things we witness are symptoms of an underlying cause: a cursed world.

            One day Jesus will come back and reign. Our world will become new again, and so will the people in it. 

            In the day to day grind, it’s hard to maintain perspective. Being able to step outside of it all and hold on to truths like this is very important. If I didn’t know there was hope for this world, I would literally go insane because everyone is suffering for no reason.

            But we are not. There will come a day when everything is going to change. 

Gotta Stay High

            You’re gone and I’ve gotta stay

            High all the time

            To keep you off my mind

            Spend my days locked in a haze

            Trying to forget you babe

            I fall back down

            Gotta stay high

            All my life

            To forget I’m missing you

            That is the heartbreaking chorus to Tove Lo’s song “Habits”. Unfortunately, the verses aren’t anywhere as good and contain, uh, questionable content (understatement). But the chorus is perfect in its imperfection.

             Because while the singer believes it’s because of the guy that she’s like this, it’s not. He was just the catalyst for her to bare her soul to the world. He was just the mirror for her to see who she truly is, if she would but look.

             She’s empty. She’s nothing.

             She looks around for affirmation of herself, and she found it for a fleeting second in a relationship. The glorious freedom she experienced was truly a drug. Someone loved (or at least said he loved) her, and there’s nothing like it.

             But then he was gone, and her security and value disappeared with him. This broke her, and the despondency was too much to bare. She has to alter her reality through other fleeting highs to keep going.

              That’s why relationships are so dangerous. They are but little models of the real, true relationship we should have with God. And just like our relationship with God, they offer joy, peace, and value, just on a much smaller and imperfect scale.

              Unless you want to end up like her, start and build a true relationship with God before you jump into one with an imperfect human being. He’ll be your rock that will never leave you. He’ll be your security and worth. You don’t have to stay high all the time to forget Him because He’s always there with you.


(An hour after I posted this, I came across Proverbs 31:6-7, "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more" (KJV). Getting high to forget pain isn't new)

End It All

            Just look around. So much pain. So much thoughtless destruction. So much hunger. People are lost and everyone has an answer… and no one has an answer.

            Why is there pain? Where’s the joy? Where’s the hope? Why are we alive?

The Sunday School Answer

            The church answers are the following: pain and suffering is the result of sin, and we are alive to glorify God by serving Him. But I’m not going to lie… those answers sometimes seem hollow.

             Tell the parents of the many Christian children murdered recently at the hands of ISIS that their children’s fate was the result of sin. Tell the child whose family has been taken away from her that she exists to love the God that allowed it to happen.

             You have to forgive them if they don’t take comfort in those answers.

What Is the Answer?

             What is the answer to the hopelessness that sometimes is life? I tried an experiment. I tried to take myself out of it all (my Christian biases, etc.). I set myself up outside everything and looked in. Is there another answer besides the Sunday school one?

             I thought about pleasure. The people who live for the moment seem to enjoy themselves the most, right? They have the good times and the fun friends and they couldn’t care less about life. Maybe that’s the way to go?

             But it can’t be. I look at the people who define that lifestyle, the celebrities, and they aren’t happy. They have the money and the sex and the fame, yet they are even emptier than everyone else. Their words and actions echo that they, too, still are looking for an answer. That means that pleasure-seeking isn’t it.

            I thought about work. Maybe we are alive to produce things. Our worth and life’s value is tied to what we make.

            But then that means that the mentally ill and the physically deformed aren’t equal to everyone else because they can’t produce like “normal” people can. That also means that the very old and very young are inferior to everyone else. And, on top of that, the people who embody this belief also aren’t happy. They spend all their days at the office, only to find their life has gone by and they haven’t enjoyed a moment of it.

            I thought about helping others. Maybe that’s it! We are alive to help others. This hits close to home for me, because I sense that this is my calling in life.

             But in the end, this fails if left by itself. It doesn’t last, because what are you helping them towards? You are helping them to go above and beyond… what? What are you pointing them towards? If you point them to helping others, then they point others to helping others… this is a continuous cycle with no fulfilling ending. No one is helping anyone out to anything final and eternal.

This Leaves… the Sunday School Answer

            Let’s revisit the SS answer: pain is the result of sin, and we are on earth to serve God. Why does that just feel so empty?
            It hit me. The reason why is because I don’t hear what should, but rarely does, come next.

            We are living to serve God, yes, but what has He promised us? An eternity of joy. An eternity of Himself, one of pure purpose and fulfillment. We serve God so that one day there will be no more pain and suffering. No more hunger and hatred. We serve God so that one day we can have pure relationships where there is no disappointment. No letdowns.

             Without eternity, there is no purpose to life.

             If you look to this world for answers (obedience to God, pleasure, work, helping others), you will be left feeling empty. It’s only when God Himself is the goal that you will find happiness. You serve Him, yes, but you serve Him so you can perfect your relationship with Him. Obedience isn’t the goal, an eternity with God is.

A Tribute to You, My Friend

            “Put a lid on it, butterscotch!”

            That line often came from the mouth of one of the most cheerful kids I’d ever known. He was always smiling. He was always helping. He was an angel in every sense of the word.

            And he died.

            I knew this boy. I loved him. He had great things for the future. Big plans, big dreams. He was the nicest kid you would’ve ever met*.

            Now he’s in Heaven.

            Why? I don’t know why. How could God allow him to die? I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. As I see his face and his joyful smile and his unique way of telling people to be quiet, it hurts. It hurts to say I don’t know. Why did God take him and not me?

            I can’t tell you the pain his family went through, because I could only look from the outside in. There are scars. But there are memories.

            My mind is unsatisfied with “I don’t know”. I want answers. And my heart breaks because a child should never die. Especially not this child.

            Why did I write this? I don’t know. Maybe it’s to tell you that life is short, so make sure to enjoy it. Maybe it’s to tell you to hold those you love closer, because they may not always be there. Maybe it’s to tell you to remember your Maker, because you will have to face Him one day.

            But what I do know is that the world lost a child who would’ve made an amazing husband and a wonderful father. The world lost a future man of God who loved Jesus dearly. The world lost someone it desperately needs.
            I love you. I miss you, and so does your family. But I know you are happier now than you could've ever been here. This is for you.

*Some people exaggerate the good qualities in people who have died. I am not. This boy was truly one of the sweetest, nicest kids you would’ve ever met. There is no way for me to make you believe that, but if there was, I would try. I’m not exaggerating with anything I said.

I'm Sorry

            I remember something that happened (mercifully) long ago. I was talking with an older friend about life and what’s happened to both of us. And I said something devastatingly mean.

            The worst part was, I didn’t think anything of it. I said it flippantly and continued. But later that day I replayed the conversation and realized my one comment was extremely hurtful. I mean, it was BAD.

            So I went to my friend and I apologized. He forgave me. But it still stings a lot to think about from MY end. I can’t imagine how much I hurt him. I still haven’t forgiven myself.

What about You?

            Have you ever said anything really hurtful? If so, make sure to apologize. It means the world to the person. Don’t let time go by and hope that the pain leaves. It doesn’t; the pain only dulls a little at best.

            Words scar. They linger. No one forgives AND forgets, because only the former is possible. You’ll always remember the hurtful things said to you.

            But when your friend remembers your harsh words, he or she can think fondly about the situation because of how you said you were sorry. They’ll remember how your friendship was strengthened because you were strong enough to humble yourself.

            So don’t wait. Ask for forgiveness. Words damage but they can also heal.

            

            “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24, NIV)

It's Going to Be Okay

            As we are being bombarded by the prosperity Gospel, sorrow gets overlooked. As the Joel Osteens of the world get all the television time, people get this false sense that everything should be fine and dandy. There is no room for negative emotions!

            I apologize, but that is unbiblical. God gave us the ability to be sad or guilty (or angry, but you really have to be careful with that one) for a reason.

Who Needs a Kick in the Pants? Me!

            If you read 1 Corinthians, you realize that Paul just went off on that church. Corinth was deplorable in terms of morality, and sometimes the Christians were worse than everyone else (1 Corinthians 5:1)! Ouch. So Paul writes a big long disciplinary letter that tells them they need to shape up.

            And you know what? The church in Corinth listened and felt bad. OMG, did I just say that they had a “negative” emotion? I did. Paul writes in his second letter (2 Corinthians):

            “For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time).

            Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad AS GOD INTENDED, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

            For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.” (2 Corinthians 7:8-10, NET, emphasis mine)

            There is a room for sadness (or sorrow). Does it produce a change? Is it productive? Does it make you a better person? Does it not last long?

So You’ve Had a Bad Day

            Then there are times when we haven’t done anything wrong, but we still feel sad because of circumstances we can’t control. Just like before, there is room for this sorrow. Solomon writes that there is a time for everything, including weeping (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

            Jesus felt sad sometimes. He got angry, too. He had all the human emotions, including the supposedly "bad" ones. It’s safe to say sadness inflicted by circumstances isn’t wrong, either.

Evaluation Time

            So the next time you feel sad, don’t feel guilty for it. Despite what some Christians say, we are human and we do bad things while bad things happen to us.

            However, you do need to evaluate why you are feeling sad. Is it unproductive? Is it changing you for the worse? Is it lasting too long?

            If the answer is “yes” to any of those questions, you need to leave the sorrow behind because it’s very harmful to you and those around you. But if the answer is “no”, then it’s alright. You’ll feel better soon!

Lights, Camera…

            I’ve been thinking about our whole concept of church. Do we have it right? I don’t know. Something seems missing. You walk into the building (more on that later), and people seem distant. “Hey” and “what’s up?” abound, but something is lacking. A sense of realness. A closeness. A friendliness.

            We don’t really act like a family.

            We all walk into that building on Sunday with troubles. We have thoughts and questions about life. We have failures and successes that we want to share with people. We want people to be there to comfort us and celebrate with us.

            But we can’t let others inside. You don’t DARE show that something is wrong in that church building. That’s not a good Christian! Christians must always be smiley faces and happy-go-lucky. Something is wrong with you if you aren’t happy. Something is messed up if you don’t act like life is just the most awesomest thing ever.

           So we hide. We put on our miming masks and go through those doors. And that’s a shame.

But First, the Building

            But before I get to how Christians act towards each other, I want to deal with the church “building”. Over the centuries*, we have worshipped in huge buildings. It’s natural, right? Just have a central place where people can gather. People can worship there. The building can serve other functions as well.

            The problem is that we now think of the building as the church. No, the church is the PEOPLE. When you go shopping with another believer, you are doing church. When you go over to another believer’s house, you are doing church.

            The church is simply the group of Christians on earth. Believe it or not, it would still exist if every meeting structure jumped into a lake.

Now, Back to Church

            Lights, camera, action! Let church begin! People roll inside and everyone just does their thing. We are supposed to be a family, right?

            Imagine that happening at your house. You go inside and no one really acknowledges anyone else. Curt nods and “hey”, and people move on. That would not be a place people would want to be. And that can sometimes be our Sunday church experience.

            How can we change this? How can we be real? There are several solutions:

            1) Live life together! Get involved in others’ lives. Invite people over, visit a shelter, volunteer together. When you hang out with people, you realize they are real. They have emotions and hopes and dreams. They matter.

            2) Be real in conversations. When someone asks how you are doing, be honest. Just say, “I’m struggling at the moment. Can you pray for me?” And people would be more than glad to do so.

            3) Celebrate and mourn with people. Go alongside of people when they are going through ups and downs. Be there for them! Let them know you care. People will remember that it was you who walked with them through their saddest and happiest times. And they’ll be there for you.

            All of a sudden, the group of Christians you meet with (in a church BUILDING) will be more like family. Why? Because they are real to you. And you are real to them. The masks will be lifted.

*Don’t quote me on this, but I think this began around the 4th century. When Christianity became legal, it was natural for Christians to stop meeting at homes and build temple-like buildings. And that is how we got to today.

Reality Check

            Christians, especially American Christians, often have an interesting view of what it means to be a follower Jesus.  They read the Proverbs, and then they read the glorious promises found in the historical books of the Old Testament. They read about how God promised wealth and physical success to Israel, if they would just return to Him.

            They start to get a little excited.

            Then they turn on the television to watch the popular preachers of our day.  The prosperity prophets proclaim a future of happiness and monetary abundance. All you need to do is believe in Jesus and give them some money, they say. The blessings will reign down! There will be no pain in your life. You will never go broke. Your life will be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

            Then these Christians go nuts.

Next Stop, Reality!

            But let’s take things back to the real, actual Jesus. No, I’m not talking about that genie-in-a-bottle Jesus. I’m not talking about that winning-lottery-ticket Jesus. I’m talking about that real Jesus. Let’s hear what He says about what will happen when you give your life to Him:

            “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

            Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues,

            And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.

            When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour;

            For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

            Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;

            And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

            When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes.” (Matthew 10:16-23)

            Flogging? Fleeing? Hatred? Death? Oh my. But wait, it gets better. The following is what happened to one of the godliest men to have ever lived, Paul. Let’s hear about the easy, prosperous life he had once he accepted Christ:

            “Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

            From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

            Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;

            In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

            In weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, ESV)

            My friends, the prosperity preachers are liars. When you become a Christian and live your faith, you will be hated, vilified, humiliated, and more. The extent of this depends on each person’s individual circumstance, but you get my point.

            God doesn’t promise us a physically prosperous life. He did to the Israelites, but that was when His Kingdom was a physical nation. His Kingdom plan is in a different stage now. It used to be about self-preservation (Israel), now it is about evangelism and growth (Christianity). 

            And God tells us there will be growing pains.

On That Note…

            Now that I’ve thoroughly encouraged you and lifted your spirit, let me end on a high note. What’s at the end of this? Why give your life for Christ? Is it worth it? My friends, it is.

            Whenever you are feeling down, read Revelation chapters 21-22. I won’t copy and paste it here (because that would be a little long). But I can tell you a little bit about what Heaven will be like.

            There will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more human-trafficking, no more rape, no more sickness, no more divorce, no more murder, no more crying, no more tears. Just infinite, eternal joy.

            There will be a city the size of America-ish (don’t believe me? Read Revelation 21:16). It will have beautiful diamonds all around it.

            We will see the saints throughout history. We will see friends and family. We will have eternity to get to know each other.

            But above all, we will get to know God better. The Creator of the universe, the omniscient, omnipotent One. The infinite, eternal Jehovah. Our loving, caring Maker. He will be there for us. He will never leave us.

Which Brings Us Back to Now

            This life will be painful sometimes. God has warned us about that. Friends will abandon us; family and friends will die. We’ll get sick and hurt. Injustice and cruelty will run rampant at times.

            But keep your chin up. Eternal joy awaits us. What’s a few moments of this life compared to that?

Loving the Unlovable

            Alright, most of you reading this have gone to Sunday school at one point or another. So answer this common question for me. How do you know you are a Christian?

            Some will quickly point out that they prayed the sinner’s prayer. Others will say that they just feel saved. Others will say that they’ve been going to church all their life. Those who are more advanced in the ways of the Sunday School will say they know they are saved by the fruit they produce, or that they are saved because their lives have been changed.

            But recently I’ve been thinking about forgiveness and love. I think we can add one more answer to this question.

I Love Idi Amin

            Idi Amin was a tyrant that murdered around 300,000 Ugandans during his 9 year reign. He was a mini-Hitler, and a micro-Satan. This dude was evil to the core. He flaunted his brutality to the world, and left Uganda in turmoil.

            In the midst of it all, he severely persecuted Christians. Festo Kivengere, an Anglican bishop, lived during his reign. He witnessed the wickedness of Idi Amin, and eventually he fled Uganda. Within the same year, he wrote a book titled “I Love Idi Amin”. In it, he talked about the supernatural joy and peace Ugandan Christians had despite Amin.

            After hearing this story of supernatural love, I thought of all the persecuted Christians overseas I’ve read about who sing as they get executed. They love their tormentors. They forgive those who hate them.

            And after reading about them, I always go back to Jesus’ words. As He was being mocked and ridiculed on the cross, He was bearing the weight of our sins. And here we were humiliating Him. I’m tearing up as I write this now because I can’t understand the love He has for me. For you.

            “Father forgive Nathan, for he knows not what he does.”

A Supernatural Love

            So what’s this other answer to the question “how do you know you are a Christian?” The answer is that you will be able to love and forgive the unlovable. Jesus loved a worthless nobody like me. Festo Kivengere loved a tyrannical monster. Countless unnamed Christians overseas suffer torture at the hands of the very people they try to help (prison guards).

            Ladies and gentlemen, that is a supernatural love a non-Christian cannot have.

            Oh, the world can forget the wrongs done to them. Maybe even forgive them. But the world cannot turn around and love those who hate them. No, it takes a power Satan does not have.

            So look at your own life. Are there people that you feel you cannot love? Maybe a coworker, teacher, parent, spouse, or an ex-friend? You may be right. On our own strength, there are times when our love just runs out. But hang on to the words of Jesus:

            “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

            Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” (Luke 6:27-28, NRSV)

            He doesn’t ask for us to fight our own battles, because He’s won the war. By His strength we can love those who hate us. We can love those whom the world cannot.

Through the Pain

            Hi guys! I’m Katie, one of Nathan’s friends from the church he attends. I just wanted to write this post to help others who may be struggling with physical pain in their life, because I can relate to that. I’ve struggled with migraines and severe neck pain for 6 or 7 years now, and I have to admit I’ve fought with hopelessness and despondency at times. I often wonder if I’ll ever get better. Over the years, I’ve tried different ways of coping with pain, and I want to share with you my struggles and what I’ve learned.

            It’s been so long that I’ve had these problems, and there have been no answers to date. I’ve visited doctor after doctor, and no one has been able to help me. Is there an answer? I don’t know, and sometimes I’ve given up hope that doctors can heal me. It’s hard trusting God for answers. I sometimes feel like I’m going to be stuck like this forever, and I very well may be. But that’s not what I need to focus on. I try to take the focus off of myself and my pain, and I try to put it on God and all the amazing things He’s done for me.

            My advice for people who are feeling down is to, first and foremost, seek God. You’ll get nowhere without Him. I’ve been so blessed, and it’s only right that God should use me to glorify Him. God doesn’t promise us an easy life, but He does promise us a great future if we’ve put our trust in Him. And that’s something to hold onto for those painful times.

            My life verse which I always come to when I’m feeling down is John 16:33. In it, Jesus says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” It’s so encouraging to me. No matter what happens to me, I’m not to worry. I’m to have peace. Because my Savior has overcome the world and all the bad stuff in it, and that’s pretty comforting to know.

            God obviously allowed this pain in my life for a reason, even though I don’t know why right now. I just have to believe that something good will come out of it. Maybe sharing my struggles and thoughts will encourage those going through tough times themselves!

Can We Question God?

            As I was talking to a friend about methods of self-therapy, a couple questions popped into my mind that was remotely related to the topic.

            Is it okay to question God?

            After reading the Bible through the years, I’m convinced the answer is “yes”. You can question God because God questioned God.

            Whoa.

            Okay, to be more specific, Jesus questioned His Father. Matthew 27:46 writes, “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).” (NIV)

            Even Jesus questioned why He had to go through what He was going through. Even more significant*, we find, in Matthew 27:39, Jesus questioning the foundation of why He came to earth. “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” (ESV) His cup being dying and tortured for us.

            Now to Jesus’ credit, He adds a disclaimer to His plea for the Father. But the fact remained that He cried out to the Father that He (Jesus) wanted Him (the Father) to change His clear will. Jesus KNEW what He had to do, but still wanted His suffering to pass.

            What does that mean for us? That means we can question God, too. In Jeremiah 12:1 (one of my new favorite verses), Jeremiah says, “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?” (KJV)

            Here Jeremiah is also putting the disclaimer on his question. Jeremiah is like, “alright, yes, we know You are good and perfect and all that jazz. With that out of the way, WHY DO YOU DO THINGS THE WAY YOU DO?”

            So I repeat: It is okay to question God because Jesus and the prophets did.

Here’s MY Disclaimer

            Now I’m playing devil’s advocate. While it is alright to question God, here’s a little something we don’t like.

            He doesn’t have to answer us.

            Look at Job (in the book of Job). He suffered mercilessly at the hands of Satan. You know how mentally comforting it would have been for God to have said, “Job, you are being tested by Satan. Don’t worry! I am going reward you at the end of this”? That would’ve been great!

            But amidst Job’s cries and questions, God simply tells him that he is not God, so he can’t do what he wants. Only God can.

            In the midst of our cries, God doesn’t have to answer why. He doesn’t have to change our situation. For humans, it’s enough for us to know that God is God and we are not. For Christians, it’s enough to know we aren't God AND that God’s salvation is sufficient for us.

            In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul writes, “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (NIV)

            So here we have Paul begging God to take a physical/spiritual ailment away from him. But God doesn’t take it away or say why it’s there (though Paul Himself gives us that answer); He simply says that His grace is enough.

Summary

            Round one: we can question God. Round two: God doesn’t have to answer our questions. Verdict? As long as we understand who God is (omniscient and omnipotent), we can ask why He does things the way He does. Before I finish this post, I want to raise one more point.

            Jesus, the prophets, Job, and Paul earned the right to question. They were obedient. They suffered and kept fighting the good fight.

            It’s only wrong to question God out of a heart that thinks we are better than Him. That we know more than Him. That we would do better if we were in His place. In these cases the questions don't come from a heart of  humility but one of pride. If we aren’t walking with God, we are trying to replace Him.

            Questions are only as right as the heart of the person asking them.

*In verse 46, Jesus is asking “why?” In verse 39, Jesus is asking for God to change His will. That’s why verse 39 is, to me, more powerful.

If God Exists, How Could He Allow (fill in the blank)?

            One of the greatest arguments against God, or at least the God of the Bible, is the existence of pain and suffering. The people who use this are usually in two groups (though the line is often blurry): 1) the hardened skeptic, 2) the individual who sincerely wants an answer. The former uses the “if God exists, how could He allow?” argument as a smokescreen. He or she doesn’t really care for an answer. The latter wants to believe that there is a loving, all-powerful Creator, but sees a contradiction between the supposedly fluffy Santa Clause God of Christianity and reality.

            I plan on writing many, many posts on this subject, but I’ll limit my answer to the atheistic skeptic. A quick note, there is not ONE answer to this argument. There are several factors that go into how to answer this question. 1) Is the skeptic an atheist? 2) If not, what exactly does the skeptic believe? 3) Is the person asking it going through personal pain and suffering? For the purpose of this post, I am answering the atheistic skeptic.

            The atheistic skeptic believes in evolution. We are the result of chance. There is no purpose in life beyond eating, drinking, sleeping, procreating, and making sure our offspring survive to repeat the cycle. There is no supernatural anything.

            The problem with an atheist asking the question “God can’t exist because we see pain and suffering” is that there is an easy rebuttal. A Christian should ask, “do you think pain and suffering is bad?” The majority of atheists, if they have any heart, will say that yes, it is bad. The Christian could then respond, “Why is pain and suffering bad?” The atheist has no logical answer.

            By admitting that pain and suffering is bad, the atheist is admitting that there is morality. There is an absolute standard of right and wrong. Murder, rape, and theft are wrong, while caring, helping, and serving are right.

            But morality as humans know it, in the sense of the dictionary definition, is completely opposite of their worldview. Remember, in an evolutionary world, we got here by murdering those who were unfit, raping those who could produce desirable offspring, and stealing things we needed to survive. There is no right or wrong. There is just survival, pain, and death.

            So if evolution is true, we would not be any more moral than animals. But we are more moral than animals, which means evolution is not true. If evolution is not true, than the Bible is. Only Christianity can account for God giving us morality. So whenever the atheist says, “God can’t exist because He wouldn’t allow…” he is saying that he is moral, which only makes sense if God exists. If God didn’t exist, we would never complain about pain and suffering. Those two things would just be our reality; we wouldn’t know anything else.

            But because God ingrained the truth in us, we know there is a better life. We look at our crazy world and know that things shouldn’t be like this. We know that there has to be something better.

Where can we find answers? The Bible. Yeah, that book that everyone loves to bash (but loves to watch for some reason). Check it out. It’s fascinating.

P.S. Whole books have been written on this subject. This is just touching the surface of an ocean of answers. All this post was trying to do was show that, by asking why pain and suffering exist, there has to be a standard for right and wrong. Who gave us that standard? Not evolution, I can tell you that.