Your Spiritual Journey
Consequences
CONSEQUENCES
As long as people have been dealing with tragic events, there have been times where one thinks (or even says out loud) “why would God do this to me” or “why would God allow this to happen”. No doubt, these negative thoughts will continue until Jesus comes to take us home. While it is understandable to feel frustration, anger, and confusion during times of tragedy, we must also keep in mind a few things to help put these thoughts in the right place.
First, God gave everyone free will to make their own choices. Not just to choose God, but to choose how they will live their own lives. Unfortunately, one person’s bad choices do not affect only that one person. Instead, those choices affect everyone around them, and in some cases, people across the globe. From drunk drivers to mass shooters and other violent criminals, many of the choices these people make negatively impact others – this is not God’s fault. He did not make the choices that lead to the catastrophic events. God allowed the choices to be made just like he allows us to choose to do good things with our time.
Second, sin has put all of us to the test at one point or another. God isn’t to blame here, either. When Jesus was tempted after his baptism, was that God tempting him? No, the Bible clearly tells us that it was the devil (Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:2).
Also, God’s promise of paradise is not part of our mortal existence. In fact, when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, mankind was cursed to endure hardships in this life. Again, the consequences of poor choices resulted in negative consequences.
The story of Job provides guidance on how we should respond to terrible events. Job lost his family, his wealth and possessions, and finally was stricken with painful sores. While Job did question “why”, he kept his faith and was eventually restored. Likewise, we must also learn to deal with devastating situations and keep our faith in God. To do so, we should “pray continually” (I Thessalonians 5:17) seeking God’s wisdom and strength and keep our eyes set on Jesus.
James Passmore
