|
Viewpoint from Dave Weeks 30/05/2014
 Dave Weeks
Pastor Hope Church Great Yarmouth
as published in the Yarmouth Mercury
Is God really a good God? As a Christian, I am always looking for opportunities to speak to people about what Christianity is really all about. I became a Christian many years ago and it was the best thing that has happened to me. To know God's love and forgiveness in my life is truly a wonderful thing, and I want others to know and experience that too. However, trying to get others to see that God is a good God and full of love often proves a difficult task. So many people seem to blame God for everything that has gone wrong in their lives. “If there's a God why is there so much suffering in the world?” Wars, child abuse, sexual abuse, violence, drug addictions etc, family breakups, losing a loved one, illness, all these and more cause some people to question the goodness of God, while others downright blame God for them. Some people also say that God caused recent earthquakes, floods, tsunamis etc
When God created the world, the Bible tells us “it was good”. In other words it was just perfect. Adam and Eve were perfect, as was creation. When God created man He also gave him freewill. That meant they could choose to love God or not, to live the right way or not. Unfortunately, they chose to rebel. As we now look around the world, the results we see are not that of a God who is punishing us or being bad towards us but of a human race which on the whole has turned its back on Him
I am fully aware that good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. This seems very unfair, and so it is, but, living in a world of unfairness is also a result of man's sin. There is no doubt that some of the bad things that go wrong in our lives are due to our own thoughts and actions, but that is not always the case. As I say, we are living in a 'fallen' world and much of what comes our way is due to this
The Heavenly Father that I know is not a God with a big stick waiting to hit us over the head or make our lives a misery. He is a God who genuinely loves and wants to care for us. Admittedly, there are, and will be times when it seems that God doesn't answer particular prayers, and I find that difficult too. But I refuse to allow my human reasoning to somehow persuade me that, because things are not working out as I would like, then God must be at fault. As a Christian I believe Romans ch8 v 28 which says 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose'
It could be that today you blame God for something that has happened in your life, and it is eating you up. God fully understands how you are feeling and wants to free you from that turmoil. My prayer for you is that instead of blaming God, you turn to Him and ask Jesus to come into your life and free you and heal you and to ask Him to pour His love and peace and joy into your heart
|
|
|
|
