"When we don't understand something about God, some people are tempted to discredit him completely."

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book, The Christian Atheist: When You Believe in God But Live as if He Doesn’t Exist (p. 105). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Have you ever been tempted to do that? You don’t understand something that has happened and you discredit or blame God for it? It is easy to do.

Craig says, “My friend Andy Stanley said, ‘You don’t have to understand everything to believe in something.’ In John 9, Jesus met a man who was born blind and forced to beg just to get by. Jesus’ disciples wanted to know whose fault it was that the man was blind: Was it his fault? Or his parents?

He goes on, “For some reason, it’s human nature to place blame. For example, if someone gets cancer, some Christian Atheists might wonder, What do you think they did to deserve cancer? If someone’s wife walks out, insensitive churchgoers might think, If he had been a better spiritual leader, his wife wouldn’t have done that. If a teenager is rebellious, hardened onlookers might privately reflect, If that kid’s parents had been more involved, this never would have happened. People like to place blame.”

“When the disciples wondered who to blame, to their surprise Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned… but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life’ (John 9: 3). This man had spent years enduring the hardships of a life without sight, and Jesus basically said that God would be glorified through this tragedy. God can have a Purpose in Our pain.”

Craig then says, “Just because God can use what happens doesn’t mean he causes everything. God does cause some pain (Heb. 12: 7 – 11 talks about God ‘disciplining’ his children), but much pain— especially that caused by the sins of other people— is not caused by God. He may allow it, but he doesn’t cause it. That’s an important distinction. Recognizing this fact might still leave us angry with him (and I’m guessing he probably understands when it’s a person in pain). We learn to overcome this anger as we get to know God. And as we do, we learn how to trust that he is still good, loving, and wise in everything he does, even if we don’t know why things happen.”

Is this what you or a friend of yours needed today? Is it? Would you let God have your pain and would you trust him today? Would you?

Yes, yes!!!

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