christians only please?

Question

I'm struggling with my understanding of this loving God who's been my anchor all of my life. There are too many sadistic atrocities happening to innocents including children every day in this orphaned world. I find it sick and selfish and even 'sinful' to pray for things like my own well being and happiness (they seem trivial) when I know at this very moment there is a child is starving to death or in unbearable pain b/c of some terminal disease and the poor mothers who's spirits have died watching their little ones go through this. I know this sounds morbid but these things are happening everyday whether I tune it to the news or put down the paper. I just feel like "what's the point in praying for myself" or even them. People have been praying for milennia for this to stop and it doesn't appear to have made an impact in this world if history is any indicator. What would you say to someone who has lost faith in humanity and who's doubting, not the existance, but the love of God.

Anatalia- if you've read my question accurately you'd notice I don't want to pray for myself. thnx anyway

Everyone is welcome to answer

anatalia- wow, so when children die we shouldn't weep b/c the bible says so? that is sick, and yes I'm being judgemental to you as well

Pal - yes Jesus suffered but so do children and not just for hours but for years

ledbette - thank you, that was comforting

KermitDaFrog - what about the parents in third world countries? Is it their responsibility to single handedly stop the raging diseases that engulf their families. those of which have been eradicated in America

SoulShaper - Thanks, that was very nice

Answer 1

Consider yourself hugged, Hope.

I know what you're talking about. I see it, I struggle with it. It all makes little sense to me, too.

Tell you what, though, how about I pray FOR you for you (not sure that makes any sense whatsoever...).

After reading your question, here's a kinda random thought for you, do you think you might be getting a call to serve? Like I said, just a thought. Take it with a grain of salt :).

regards, thoughts, prayers, respects

Answer 2

Hope:

You have a very caring heart, & that is a very good sign, in this world today.

God DOES see what is going on in this world today, & He DOES care. But we have to remember that we are talking about a being that existed before time. WE can only think with out limited minds, because we cannot see the whole picture of time-from begining to end like God does. I will fully admit that there are things that we, as mere humans will NEVER know, & this may very well be one of them.

WE can do no more that what we can do, as mere mortals to help others, & trust that God DOES have a plan. As we see here:

2 Peter 3:7-8 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

There is nothing wrong with you questioning-it shows that you DO care. What matters most, is that God DOES have a plan for the world, that He IS a loving & righteous God, & that one day, we WILL have all our answers answered. WE must do what we can, & leave the rest in His hands, for he DOES know best.

I know that this may not help much, but God has never lost control of the situation. What so much of this comes down to, is Satan's interferance, that began back in the Garden of Eden. IF Adam & Eve HADN'T eaten that apple, NONE of this would have ever happened.

You go right on caring. You are a real treasure, & in the world today, that is something very rare!

Answer 3

You must keep your faith. Keep praying. If you don't want to pray for yourself then pray for and end to suffering.

Some people feel that because there is suffering in the world that God is not a good God. This is a false assumption used mostly by atheist and those who have given up. All things work for the glory of god and suffering is sometimes used to teach us lessons.

Without slavery there probably wouldn't be many African-Americans in this country (US). And even though slavery was atrocious - African Americans have contributed to this country in many many ways. Would modern Israel exist with out the Holocaust?

What happens in time of tragedy? People come together and help each other. Think about all the citizens who donated time an money to help the Hurricane Katrina victims?

God has also given us fee will, it is one of his most precious gifts. I we choose to abuse it that is our fault. Should he come down and act like a tyrant? and take back this precious gift?

Keep you faith and work to make the world a better place. Don't sit on the sidelines do something.

Answer 4

It is often asked why is there suffering in the world if God is all powerful and loving. Why doesn't He stop it? Can He or is He weaker than we think? Suffering can fall into three simple categories: emotional, mental, and physical suffering. But, there are a variety of causes for suffering: morally corrupt (evil) people, disease, earthquakes, floods, famine, etc.
Suffering is the result of human sin. The world is not the way that God created it and because of that, all are vulnerable to the affects of sin in the world. Why does one person suffer and another does not? Why do catastrophes happen to some and no others? It is because sin is in the world. But there will come a day when the Lord will return and cleanse this world of all sin and all suffering.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4).

Answer 5

Well Hope, it kinda sounds like you are questionong Gods love. God works in ways we don't always understand, I know you already know that. To you and some others(even myself at one point) it may seems practically inhumaine.Unfair.You'll say to yourself, 'why can't it be better,or different? Why can't they have the meds. we have? '
Things happen for a reason, and if you take a better look, a harder look at the world, heck even our country alone, maybe you'll see that it isn't crul, and it won't sadden you any longer, that your saden turns into a different reason for feeling so.
Go to Oprahs web site, there you'll find on a recent show some very real facts of percential or very crucial things that happen in our world. I will talk to you more about how I feel about it somewhere else if you like.
Gos Bless.

Answer 6

I would simply tell you to pray about it. Talk to a pastor...they can help you through. God loves all, but he has given us free will. I pray for forgiveness of my sins, but I pray for others more than I do myself. I pray for the starving children, for the animals, for my family, etc. What people need to understand is that God ALWAYS answers prayers. That's not to say that you'll get the answer you want however. The sin of man is what causes such terrible things in the world. It is not the fault of God, nor does it mean that God loves us any less. It simply means that man has declined from day one, and their sin becomes greater and greater with each passing day. Praying does help. Praying has helped me and my family many times. Sometimes the answer you get isn't the answer you want, but that doesn't mean that God is unloving and uncaring about His children.

Answer 7

In Thom Hartmann's book The Prophet's Way he recounts a moment when he was working to releive starvation in Africa. In a very short trip he had seen children dying, seen their bodies lifeless on the side of the road. Watched the inhumanity.

On the way back to the hotel one day, he was upset about al the suffering. The priest riding with him, a man who had devoted his life to this service, said, "Hey, what do you get when you feed a starving African?" Thom shook his head in confusion. The priest added with sadness, "Two starving Africans."

Hartmann traveled to Germany to speak to his spiritual teache, Herr Mueller. Thom asked with all the suffering in the world how we can act even though it is overwhelming at times. Mueller thought for a moment and said, "It might be true that the world will never be saved, and even true that alleviating suffering now might create more suffering to alleviate later. However, we are to love our neighbor and do what is before us to do. That is inherently good."

I believe that suffering exists for many reasons. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. But no one person suffers all that suffering at once and no one person can save even 10% of those people. Even if they did, who's to say what things would be like in 10 years? Rather, what we can do is bring light into the world by responding to suffering with compassion and with love. After all my intellectual questioning - questions to which there are no answers - and all my raging against God for the pain and imperfection, what I find is a very simple faith that the way of God is love and that acting out of that love is the largest part of why we are here.

God bless.

Answer 8

God has given us free will and Jesus came to preach brotherly love. If everyone in the world practiced brotherly love, there wouldn't be children starving and dying.

God loves all of us because we are his children. However, he has entrusted to us the ability to take care of one another. We are suppose to be perfect, as he is perfect.

Many times I feel as you do that praying for myself seems too trivial compared to the problems in this world and the people that are dying because of them. Humanity isn't humane. These atrocities will not stop until every person makes it their goal to change things. This is probably what God is waiting for....us.

Answer 9

That you re in the same position we have been in since time began. That there is a reason things happen even if we do not understand them. That it is, indeed, okay to pray for oneself, unless you do it to the exclusion of others. That you must keep faith even as people in concentration camps did during WWII, and through all the times and tribulations of the world.

And that always, you must do your part to make the world a better place.

Answer 10

God sees us all as "children". And though children are innocent, they will grow up to be just regular adults. Atrocities are done to all humans, young and old. It is all tragic. But I have always understood that it is the parent who is responsible for the child. It is He/She who decides how to raise it. To ask God to become responsible for our children, is like asking the Government to do the same. Ergo, should all children be gathered and taken care of by a government sponsored orphanages? Don't put the responsibility on God. But on the parents, and the whole human collective in general.