Board index ‹ The Problem of Evil and Suffering

[MolyRoly]

I've been going to a counselor. We've been talking about whether God is active or inactive. It made me think of our conversations. Thinking of God as being
inactive (God letting things just happen rather than interfering in the natural course of life) actually makes me feel better about my whole situation. The bad things that have happened to me in my life is just life—the bad things don't say anything about ME or GOD. It's just life. I'm not doing anything wrong. He cares about me and loves me. He loves me just as much as anyone else. I'm not being punished. If things don't get better it's just life. If things get better that's great—I didn't do anything to deserve it. The counselor put it this way. If I live far from my father and I talk to him about my problems and tell him how much I hurt he is going to sympathize with me, care about me and love me. He can't change the situation but he can listen and love me through the situation. He has nothing against me. If I think of God more in those terms it seems to help—not expecting anything from God. Thinking of Him as a person to talk to and that's it. But man—there are those times like this weekend where I was in so much pain and I just cried out to God and wanted some relief. But I don't expect relief anymore. Cause I know that it doesn't happen that way.

Still struggling with having a relationship with God. It just isn't there. I tried reading Ps.23 one verse at a time but it just isn't doing anything for me.

I'm stuck on the Lord is my shepherd. A shepherd is to lead, care for his sheep. I sure don't see that. My Christianity is just dead. I don't even know how to talk to my kids anymore about God. We rarely talk about Him. That makes me sad. But I really don't know what to say. You got any input?

[jimwalton]

My response to you about Psalm 23, yes I have input. Again, you're thinking about Psalm 23 in terms of what God can do for your body, and taking away your physical pain. I know it's a tough transition to make, but when you meditate on Him as Shepherd, you need to meditate on his nurture for your SOUL. A shepherd leads, and cares for his sheep, yes. And He inhabits your body, yes, but you need him to restore your SOUL, as the Psalm says. Don't fear the one who can tear your body to shreds (and God does allow such things), but fear the loss of your SOUL. That's where you need a shepherd. This life and the tortures of this life can steal EVERYTHING away: your possessions, your health, your safety, your family—it has happened millions of times. What this life CANNOT steal is your soul, unless your expectations are that he should help your body, and because he doesn't, he doesn't deserve to get your soul. It's wrong thinking. Let him shepherd your soul, so that your soul is not in want, and your soul lies down in green pastures. That's where the meditation is.

The LaMaze method of childbirth is to learn how to relax and breathe even though the uterus is in pain-wrenching contractions. You are trained in LaMaze to separate what is happening in your uterus to what the rest of your body feels and does. Apply the same principle here: separate what agony is doing to your body from your relationship with the Lord and the peace in your soul. It's not that God is inactive, but he's active in a different place and way than what you want.

[MolyRoly]

Thank you. I needed that today. It's hard to focus on the soul and eternity when the pain in my body is screaming and choking out my ability to think about those things. The world (and the Christian world, too) around me screams: "Seek comfort. Expect miracles. Think positive. You can have whatever you want." I not only have to fight my own ideas and expectations but also the messages I hear on a daily basis. I just want "a life", ya know? Enough already. My faith is so weak. I've been trying to think of ps. 23 in spiritual terms, not physical. I got down to "He restoreth my soul". There it is—soul. I guess I'm in the process cause I don't feel restored yet. Had a stress test at the doctor’s to check out my heart. Doesn't think I have heart disease but wants me to have a more detailed test done. I didn't have the typical response in the treadmill test. So doctor still doesn't know what is going on. I felt like I was going to black out from the pain in body and head. Crazy. Thank you for your wisdom. My sessions with my psychologist have paralleled what you are saying to me and it has been such a great help.

[jimwalton]

Just to keep you going: (there is SO much material to keep you going. The Word of God is sharp and powerful.) Meditate on Psalm 1.3: "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bearing fruit in season. His leaf shall not whither, and whatever he doeth shall prosper."

In your prayers, imagine yourself as that tree, and see your roots going deeper and deeper, far past all physical conditions, and tapping right into the river that is Jesus Christ, sharing in his sufferings but also in his nourishment. Pray yourself to be filled with his life-giving water to nurture and strengthen you for each day, for the axes and storms that are tearing your "tree" to shreds. But your root system—your anchor—holds firm, rooted in Jesus. Meditate on these things. Roll them over and over in your head. They are your strength and your shield.

Eph. 3.14-17: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Do you SEE it in here? Out of his glorious riches (what your "roots" are tapping in to) so that you can be strengthened in your INNER BEING (how much more clearly could he say it), so that your roots give you strength to know the Love of Christ—not a love that stops the pain, but the love that fills us with THE VERY FULLNESS OF GOD. Roll that over and over in your head, over and over. Guard your soul with the word of TRUTH.