So much has happened in the last few months. I could rattle off a list but one could simply turn on the television or stroll through their cellphones. In looking on MSN news one day, my heart sunk as page after page detailed senseless murders and crimes. For completeness sake, I must also mention the pandemic and the economic state of our nation which perhaps poses a host of questions to a loving God. How can a good God allow such evil in the world? Does He not see? Does He even care? Maybe we are asking the wrong question.
What if I were God? I know right! Gasp. How dare I type such words? Yet that’s what we insinuate when questioning why He allows bad things in the world. Let’s explore this idea for a moment. My humanity affects every decision. There would be a scale on which to weigh each wrongdoing. The gossiper would in no way receive the same punishment as the murderer. After all, they weren’t saying anything untruthful. The thief might get some mercy depending on if he stole to feed his family. Cheating on a test is definitely not the same as cheating on taxes. Who does it hurt if I make an A or a C? Let’s not forget the sexually perverse or the abuser. They might as well roll around in gasoline because they’re going to burn fervently. My emotions create exceptions to every rule. There would be no standard of righteousness. This is what makes him God.
God sees it all as sin. There’s no such thing as a good person and white lies are just lies. The standard that He set is trusting in the blood of Jesus. He is the reason that our nature changes from evil to redeem. Without Jesus, we default to the most wretched person. In reality, it is not God who allows bad things to happen but our own depravity wreaking havoc on the world. Yes, God is sovereign but He’s not in heaven controlling or manipulating events. We have free will. The vast majority of the things we experience are the result of choices whether those of others or our own. It’s as though sin diminishes everything into a fallen state. Yet, there is hope.
Since God is unchanging, we can trust in Him. He is just but also merciful. Even the most decrepit person can be forgiven and receive eternal life. Crazy! Once again, this is what makes him God. He’s able to toss our most horrible sins (remember all sin is the same) into the sea of forgetfulness. Instead, He sees the price that Jesus paid for us. He doesn’t keep score. He’s not plotting some horrific punishment. God wants ALL to come to repentance. Maybe that’s why He’s being long-suffering with us. Honestly, if I were God (my bad I did it again), then I would have flooded the world and started over again. Despite all the terrible things going on, God waits for one more person. His voice is calling us for in Him we can have peace in a chaotic world.
Be encouraged! :)
Written by: Christa Martina
FB page: See Martina Write
Scripture References: Hebrews 4:13 “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”
Romans 10:13 (NLT) “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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