Tag: Faith

Does God Give a Damn?

We see so much suffering in the world that believers and non-believers alike, ask the inevitable question of “why”. Why does God allow, or even initiate, the suffering we see in the world? If God is such a loving and caring Almighty, then why does He want us to suffer? Does He give a damn?

There’s a lot of scripture and scholarly citations that you can dig into, which will show that God truly cares for us and the world He created. You will find that our fall from grace in the garden brought evil into the world that’s driven by Satan. God gave us freedom to make choices to include whether we believe in God or not. We are not forced to worship, so Satan tries to help us make the wrong choices that drives a lot of the suffering in the world.

Love is not real unless its freely given between parties. For me, I look to Jesus, God’s only Son, our Lord and Savior, who was prosecuted, tortured and suffered on the cross. He had a choice too.

The Movie: The Passion of the Christ

Thankfully, Jesus chose to take on the Sins of the world, enduring unimaginable pain and suffering, so that we could have a chance of redemption in His death and resurrection.

So, if the Son of God endured suffering, then what makes you or me special for some kind of exemption? God is neither indifferent or powerless to our suffering. Through Jesus, God knows what our struggles, pain and suffering feels like. The Apostle Peter offers a good summation:

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter: 5: 8-11

There’s a few mantras in the endurance racing world. This is one my favorites, “What doesn’t kill you makes you tougher.” If not for our pain and suffering, then how do we grow as people? If it weren’t for my struggles and seeking God’s help, I wouldn’t be who I am today. How about you?

Bottom line, we live in a world infected by Sin that creates the suffering in the world, which is man-made, not God’s. Moreover, God gives a damn, proven by Him giving us Jesus and His Holy Spirit.

I don’t say this lightly. I’ve experienced great suffering and pain in my life that includes the loss of a young daughter and having faced life threatening cancer. So, I’m speaking with the scars to support my perspective.

If you’re struggling with God, then look to God for reassurance and understanding. You will receive the Holy Spirit and know that you’re not alone and that you’re loved from above and here on earth.

Enduring God’s Love For Us

As believers, we must have stamina, endure pain, and press forward in faith regardless of the obstacles put before us.

I don’t know about you, but being a good Christian isn’t all beer and skittles. That’s largely because of Sin, which is a pain in the butt. Thanks to Jesus, when we sincerely ask for God’s forgiveness, we are forgiven, but it doesn’t end there. In my experience, God wants to do more for us, in large part because He expects more from us.

In other words, His love for us means He wants our faith in Him to grow, which helps us grow, but that often means there’s going to be a lot of growing pains.

I titled my blog Enduring God, because that’s what living a life of faith requires. As believers, we must have stamina to endure the pain of life in order to carry our cross over the obstacles put before us. Those obstacles are not all due to God, but manifest from our own weaknesses and flaws, as well as from a secular world that wants to beat us down at every turn.

Moreover, to truly understand our character (the person we are when no one is around), we must be tested to see how we endure and respond to crisis and heartache. It’s in those moments of anxiety and uncertainty that we come face-to-face with our true character, which can be considered a Blessing for those of us endeavoring to be better Christians.

That’s not to say, when we experience a loss of a loved one, lose our job, or get diagnosed with a fatal disease that we rejoice in blissful song and ignore these realities. Unfortunately, for many of us, when we endure the hardest tests and most painful experiences, we turn from God when we should be seeking his comforting Spirit. Many simply ask “Why is this happening to me?”.

My blog is about inspiring readers to have the courage to endure the hard times, while finding meaning, so that you can become stronger in faith in both God and in yourself.

Through God anything is possible. Don’t shortchange your faith in Him, because He is there with profound love and compassion for His children. I look forward to sharing many experiences and tips on how to grow in faith and bring glory to our Lord, while gaining more purpose in our day-to-day lives.

Amen.