Why does God hurt a lot of Christians by making them suffer but yet there are millions of really bad people who are living on easy street with money, good health, etc??
2006-12-29 05:28:47 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God does not cause the hurt. We have all been given free will - including those that would harm others. God did not cause the harm - it is the choices we as humans have made. If a Christian suffers, God will be with them throughout the suffering so that they will be able to endure. Their riches are in heaven, not of this earth. The 'bad' people who have acquired wealth and so forth will eventually have to face God.
2006-12-29 05:32:28 · answer #1 · answered by padwinlearner 5 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Read Matthew 5:45, but please do not stop there. Read the whole Chapter. The rain falls on the just as it does the unjust. Also the WHOLE BOOK of ECCLESIASTES was written especially FOR man. It will give what you are asking and alot more also. The ones who cause evil and prevail in this life HAVE ALL the reward they will EVER have on earth in this life. There is no need to go on and on with a thousand word essay as some people think is needed, as you are NEW (to the Word) I am guessing by your question, and to overload you with the Word of God in a deep understanding will only confuse you further. If you would like any more help please let me know, or at least find someone who knows what they are talking about. Everyone here that is sincere, is trying to help you answer this question, but there is only one way to get the answer and that is the Word of God. My thanks to all who truely care and am trying to help. The Book of PROVERBS also is a great help.
2006-12-29 13:56:08 · answer #2 · answered by Ex Head 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Don’t compare you life with others. It may appear that somebody else is living an ideal life when in reality they are facing all sorts of problems. Sometimes the seemingly perfect life comes crashing down into a million pieces. And if the person doesn’t know how to turn to God, they probably won’t be able to put all those pieces back together.
We do face all the same struggles and hardships as nonbelievers. The difference is that we know we are not alone. Christ will share every difficult moment with us and he will understand our suffering. After all, he suffered too. As Christians we try to learn from our trials. One of the things we learn is compassion for others who are suffering.
2006-12-29 13:39:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Many people ask the same question and God's Word provides us the answer.
All people, christians and non-christians grow old and die and many die from unforeseen circumstances. The reason bad things happen to anyone, is because of God's enemy, Satan the devil. He challenged God's right to rule over the earth and said that humans do not need God and could rule themselves independently without God's help. God is answering Satans challenge by allowing man to try to live without his interference. Satan also said that humans would discontinue serving God if he( Satan and his demons)) were allowed to cause them pain and suffering. There have been and still are many who are proving Satan to be a liar, who love and serve God faithfully, despite whatever persecution Satan brings upon them.
What has been the result of man ruling man without God intervening? Suffering and injustice, wars, crime and hatred.
God has promised to soon rid the earth of all those things and to destroy Satan and all who follow him. Satan will lose the challenge and be proved a liar. By remaining faithful to the end, we show that we are on God's side and prefer his rule over man's.
We need a righteous ruler who will be just and merciful. Human rulers can do nothing for us. (Psalm 146:3)
Look what Psalms 37:9-11 promises us--" For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Soon the meek who inherit this earth will be under one government that will last forever. (See Daniel 2:44) No more will we have to put up with imperfect human rulers who can never bring an end to injustice, crime, terrorism or death itself. God's government will do all that and more.
2006-12-29 13:50:22 · answer #4 · answered by Micah 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God has a plan for each of us. Something great will happen to the Christians...they will live in heaven. The "bad people" will have trials in their lives, and their punishment is going to hell. God doesn't give all punishments while we are on earth, some have to wait until the afterlife.
2006-12-29 14:05:24 · answer #5 · answered by Tinkerbell 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it makes no sense, does it??? That's why lots of us have a better idea of what god is..... In traditional, fundamentalist christian thought, god is some supernatural power, old man in a beard, sitting on a cloud, and randomly answers prayers, kills people off, gives babies AIDS, and lets bad guys go free, and we're supposed to swallow this with the "Have faith, you will be rewarded later" or "Only he knows...." crap.
Get rid of the idea of god as a supernatural, and things make sense. Firstly, you are but a dot of matter on a planet about as big as Colorado, in a universe larger than the Milky Way. In such a perspective, you arn't worth much. You get about $14 worth of chemicals to use for about 80 years... it is called your body and it is made of recycled molecules.... you have some from Louis Pasteur, but none yet from Elvis --- he hasn't been dead long enough..... When you die, the same bacteria that digested your food, begin to digest you. Historically what we now called the bible was written by starving shephards (who didn't know how to write---but that's another story---) 2000 years ago -- and everything that some of them wrote, never made it into the bible -- we are finding all sorts of texts that were conveniently left out, and distortions about the life of jesus that never really occurred, but that's another matter.
But is there a god? Sure, but define in better..... god is the smile a mother gives her newborn child, the energy of the baby horse running in a green pasture beside his mother.... god is the sparkle of dew on a brilliant flower, god is the love a man has for his wife, and devotion he has for his children... god is in the hand of the artist who pulls you into his painting and brings to your mind the feeling wonder you would not have experienced without seeing that painting....god is in the hand of the surgeon, as he cuts to heal... god is in the giving of an idea --- from a teacher to the student, and in the smile on that student's face, and that child's understanding a concept for the first time....god's voice is the music of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, in patterns so lovely, they are like listening to a painting sing....god speaks in the language of DNA....god is the creation of something wonderful... god is in you,,,, god is in me... god is in us all, of us all at every moment we breathe.... is there a god? oh, yes. Is it some old man in the sky, walking on a sunbeam, hand and hand with jesus, holding the tail of the red satan???? of course not.... fairytales.....
2006-12-29 14:03:21 · answer #6 · answered by April 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That is a good question -
First off, I would correct one thought that is hidden inside your question - That God creates the condition of suffering. There are those denominations that might claim that God creates condition or is responsible... but the smacks of pre-destination, and even hard core Calvinists (Calvin the original believer in pre-destination theory) distance themselves from hard core pre-destinationist thinking. We have free will, and most conditions are a result of free will.
To really answer your question continues from the idea of free will. Most Christians at least seek to follow the serventhood and humble life style of Christ. We make decisions based upon that goal and seek to bring about the kingdom of God and the advancement of God's will over seeking our own good fortune. The choice we mak to follow Christ often leads to turning away from worldly aspects of success (pursuit of wealth and easy street). Jesus ate amonst the sinners and the infirmed... if we are to follow him, we eat amongst the poor and the hopeless. Therefore, Christians make choices that tend lead them away from worldly success and toward true discipleship.
2006-12-29 13:38:58 · answer #7 · answered by rogueknight17 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Suffering does not come from God sweet heart. Suffering is a consequence of sin and the original fall. God can and does use suffering and hardships to reach us and show us that He wants what is best for us and cares more about our spirit than He cares about our happiness. Our happiness is dependant on something "happening". Joy can be felt beyond our circumstances. God is willing to sacrifice our "happiness" to make us whole. God uses suffering and struggles to educate us and discipline us....(now I didn't say punish, I said discipline. Punishment looks backward and wants revenge for what you did in the past.....discipline looks forward toward altering our behavior). I hope this helps explain why things seem disporportionate when dealing with God. Not to mention...Who does God bless? Everyone right?! Of course...
Ok now who does Satan attack? Only those not belonging to him right? Make sense why smooth sailing jerks seem to get off scott free?
2006-12-29 13:34:52 · answer #8 · answered by sheepinarowboat 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because God created a perfect world in which no such things would happen. I am assuming you are aware of the Adam and Eve bit in the Bible..original sin and the lot. The fault does not lie with God, it lies with humanity. In fact God adores and loves us with such a passion, he granted us the freedom of choice and free will. Regrettably, humans have not utilized this freedom for the better.
2006-12-29 13:38:15 · answer #9 · answered by Ydi 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I know..every Christian struggles with that question and really nobody knows..beleive me..I have a saved aunt thats ling in the hospital with cancer.and it makes you wonder..but Paul (im pretty sure) said that its a blessing to know that God knows you can get through the bad times and he knows you can handle it...but we are the ones who is going to get the BIGGEST reward....**HEAVEN***
2006-12-29 13:32:42 · answer #10 · answered by JesusChik 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋