It’s become hard to tell people that god is with them in their pain. I’m not sure people can or want that sometimes. I wonder if that’s because it will destroy the false image of god that they’ve been taught and held with them. They want to hear that god will get them out of every problem. Or at least they want to hear that if they just do this or just do that or be good or pray hard enough that will somehow convince god to act on their behalf. But this is what Judaism and Christianity tried to get away from. Because ultimately this would mean we could control god. It is logical and it makes sense. But it is not what the god of the bible is about. Life doesn’t work that way. But many times it is what is still taught. Do good and god rewards. Do bad and god punishes. So when you’ve been mostly good and disaster strikes, what then? We dont have the spiritual vocabulary to cope with this. And many is want to believe that god will automatically save us from anything (even if we brought it in ourself!) but honestly… Thts not the god of the bible. It’s not. Stephen doesn’t get saved from stoning. The Israelites don’t get immediately rescued from exile. Jesus didn’t get a last minute plan change in the garden of gethsemane. So why do we assume that god will automatically do it. He will sometimes of course but many times it takes time an doesn’t look like what we hoped it would. We have added our own image to god and have started to think he might do as we tell him to. But I’m pretty sure god doesn’t like that very much. Suddenly it is our plan! We know what we need! Ultimately WE can save ourselves! God is just the materials provider. We drafted the blueprints he provides the parts and labor. Sure we will add in a few token good works and some prayers and we will be there to cut the ribbon. But it doesn’t work that way… I’ve tried that. God isn’t the magic genie we hoped he’s be. But nor is he the jerkwad who waits around to punish us. But he also isn’t the god who saves everything immediately. That’s who we created him to be but that’s not in the original job description. I want to tell people that god is win us in disaster as our comforter and our friend. Yes he might be working on some plans to get us out, be patient be diligent and alert in the meantime. By all means pray and ask. But don’t assume he’s gonna do it your way. For now know that he cries with you, laughs with you, understands your pain, and is working stuff out…somehow, sometime. And the call then also owns out to friends and family who are believers. Can you be part of the plan to be the listening ears of Christ, the arms that hold, he hands that help? Can we be part of te solution? The world is fallen but god has called us to participate in the recovery… But so often we fail to listen
A misunderstanding of god
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