So, why does a good God allow bad things to happen?
That's a really good question. And I'm sure there are a lot of good answers.
So you can then help someone else going through the same thing.
To bring you closer to God.
To remove the bad influences that we do not see from our lives.
Because God gave us the gift of free will. And just like we have free will to choose good, so do we all have the same free will to choose bad. And unfortunately that bad often impacts others.
There are any number of good answers to this question. And it was one that I had not completely pondered, until, it happened to me.
I am a very contented person. I am happy in my own skin and have been since I became a Christian. I live modestly and am happy in my job. There isn't much that I really stress over on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong. Life has not been perfect by any means. There have been money issues, job layoffs, and an unexpected divorce. But through it all God has been my rock. I am happy being His child, and trying to find my purpose in this life. That is until that day.
It was a betrayal of both mind and body. Someone who was very close to me did the unthinkable. Someone who should have never hurt me, did. Someone who was supposed to love me more than anyone else, hurt me more than I ever thought possible. They deceived not only me, but all of those closest to me as well. Why? I still don't know. But it threw me. It threw me so badly that two years later I am still wrestling with the feelings of utter betrayal, hurt, deceit, and the lies that this person spun.
For most of these two years I have struggled with 'Why'? Why me? What have I ever done to deserve this?
The fact is that many times we do not deserve the bad things that happen. They just do. People like to quote the verse "All things work together for God's Good." And while that may be so, sometimes it is hard to hear when you are hurting deeply. You don't really care what the reasons are, you just want the hurt to stop.
But I also know that in order to lead people to God, you have to go and meet them where they are. And if that is a place of hurt and pain, then you must go down into the depths of pain to meet them and lead them out. Okay, but if you are someone like me who has been pretty happy my whole life, and content with everything that has been thrown at me, how do I do that? I had to learn what that hurt and pain felt like. I had to feel the stabbing in my heart that I had to relive day after day. I had to deal with the humiliation of the lies that were spun, so that I could address it with someone else. I had to go down into the dank darkness of the pit if despair so that I would know how to get back out. I had to find God again in the bleak areas of life, so that I could show others how to do it. I had to learn how to grow in Christ no matter what. I had to be broken. And I was.
I tried to envision what our Lord went through when he was betrayed and crucified. How did He get past the hurt and be able to forgive what they had done to Him. How could He look at Judas with love and compassion knowing what he would do? He didn't deserve what happened to Him, but it still did. And that is what saved us all.
So now I can add to my list of accolades that I have been absolutely and utterly broken. I have been betrayed and deserted. I have been left for the wolves to devour, but they didn't. They didn't because God was there the whole time watching over me. He showed me how to forgive and have compassion on those that have hurt me. He led me back out of the pit so now I know my way. I am uniquely prepared to lead others out from this same pit. And I am no longer afraid of the blackness-for it is in this absolute darkness that the light of Jesus will shine the brightest.
Don't despair the hurt. Greater things lay behind it.
Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
Tweet me @LorettaLea
#jclc #Sinclair
#JesusChristLifeCoach
#JesusIsMyLifeCoach
Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach
Jesus is my Life Coach!
That's a really good question. And I'm sure there are a lot of good answers.
So you can then help someone else going through the same thing.
To bring you closer to God.
To remove the bad influences that we do not see from our lives.
Because God gave us the gift of free will. And just like we have free will to choose good, so do we all have the same free will to choose bad. And unfortunately that bad often impacts others.
There are any number of good answers to this question. And it was one that I had not completely pondered, until, it happened to me.
I am a very contented person. I am happy in my own skin and have been since I became a Christian. I live modestly and am happy in my job. There isn't much that I really stress over on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong. Life has not been perfect by any means. There have been money issues, job layoffs, and an unexpected divorce. But through it all God has been my rock. I am happy being His child, and trying to find my purpose in this life. That is until that day.
It was a betrayal of both mind and body. Someone who was very close to me did the unthinkable. Someone who should have never hurt me, did. Someone who was supposed to love me more than anyone else, hurt me more than I ever thought possible. They deceived not only me, but all of those closest to me as well. Why? I still don't know. But it threw me. It threw me so badly that two years later I am still wrestling with the feelings of utter betrayal, hurt, deceit, and the lies that this person spun.
For most of these two years I have struggled with 'Why'? Why me? What have I ever done to deserve this?
The fact is that many times we do not deserve the bad things that happen. They just do. People like to quote the verse "All things work together for God's Good." And while that may be so, sometimes it is hard to hear when you are hurting deeply. You don't really care what the reasons are, you just want the hurt to stop.
But I also know that in order to lead people to God, you have to go and meet them where they are. And if that is a place of hurt and pain, then you must go down into the depths of pain to meet them and lead them out. Okay, but if you are someone like me who has been pretty happy my whole life, and content with everything that has been thrown at me, how do I do that? I had to learn what that hurt and pain felt like. I had to feel the stabbing in my heart that I had to relive day after day. I had to deal with the humiliation of the lies that were spun, so that I could address it with someone else. I had to go down into the dank darkness of the pit if despair so that I would know how to get back out. I had to find God again in the bleak areas of life, so that I could show others how to do it. I had to learn how to grow in Christ no matter what. I had to be broken. And I was.
I tried to envision what our Lord went through when he was betrayed and crucified. How did He get past the hurt and be able to forgive what they had done to Him. How could He look at Judas with love and compassion knowing what he would do? He didn't deserve what happened to Him, but it still did. And that is what saved us all.
So now I can add to my list of accolades that I have been absolutely and utterly broken. I have been betrayed and deserted. I have been left for the wolves to devour, but they didn't. They didn't because God was there the whole time watching over me. He showed me how to forgive and have compassion on those that have hurt me. He led me back out of the pit so now I know my way. I am uniquely prepared to lead others out from this same pit. And I am no longer afraid of the blackness-for it is in this absolute darkness that the light of Jesus will shine the brightest.
Don't despair the hurt. Greater things lay behind it.
Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
Tweet me @LorettaLea
#jclc #Sinclair
#JesusChristLifeCoach
#JesusIsMyLifeCoach
Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach
Jesus is my Life Coach!
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