I want to trust God truly and completely. But I am stuck on the problem of pain, a subject C.S Lewis wrote a book about in very complicated language.
It’s difficult for me to rely on God, when everyday, humanity is literally waiting for the other shoe to drop.
No matter what God promises me, I can still have cancer, die unmarried, be hit by an Okada, have doors of opportunity slammed in my face, be rejected or be shocked by death and calamity. How am I to trust a God who gives no assurance or certainty? Everyday, I am one incident away from surprise.
I obviously have trust issues and a need to control things. But too often, good people finish last and then they die.
On the other hand, life can also bring joy, peace, love, friendship, progress, prosperity, good health and good fortune. Seems like a 50:50 chance.
Two things are helping me inch my way to trusting God.
The first is the realization that so much of the evil in my world is a combination of nature, government and badly behaved people. People don’t pray the same prayers in developed nations. They don’t fear the same things. They have more faith because systems work. Governments set the stage for justice and equity. For social services that minimize hunger, homelessness & ill-health, and that maximize progress, potential & prosperity.
Nature is amoral. It is neither good nor bad and it spits back what is done to it. It is an unfeeling cycle that outlives humanity. Pollution, genetic manipulation, global warming – all these things have consequences.
Now, humans can either be agents of kindness & love or of cruelty & oppression. We feel less love in the world because fewer people are actively demonstrating it. Perhaps it is true that someone can only know an invisible God through visible acts of kindness by human beings.
The second thing I’m discovering is that God is not in the business of manufacturing servants. He’s cultivating friends and family. And he prioritizes righteousness, peace and joy. I love Luke 12: 31-32. How if I seek his kingdom, he turns around to give me the very things I need, in addition to the kingdom itself. God doesn’t want to use me or make me earn anything. Like a friend and father, he wants me to fulfill my potential in a relationship with him. And, he gives me the wisdom & access to recognize the paths to take and to exploit my native gifts. It is my responsibility to pursue my program.
Trusting God won’t be easy. I’ve been struggling for years. But it is critical to my progress. Without faith, my walk with him will stall and my progress will be limited. After all, there is no relationship without trust.
For more, please read Success is Christian.
[bctt tweet=”humans can either be agents of kindness & love or of cruelty & oppression. We feel less love in the world because fewer people are actively demonstrating it. Perhaps it is true that someone can only know an invisible God through visible acts of kindness by human beings.” username=”@subomiplumptre”]