In this past year, a slew of my friends have abandoned their faith in God altogether and come out as atheists.
I’ve seen the pattern over and over again so many times that I’m thinking I could knit a sweater of atheism if only I had enoyugh yarn.
It usually starts with a personal crisis of some sort or another.
The death of a child. The loss of a home. Financial disaster. The disappointment that comes from a marriage gone bad. A prodigal child. It could be anything big or seemingly small.
Whatever the initial spark, the course of events that follows seems fairly consistent from person to person.
First up: The Arrival of Job’s Friends.
Because the American Church is so enamored with this stupid theology about Jesus having a wonderful plan for our lives, many Christians do not know how to cope when misfortune strikes their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
For Americans, Jesus having a wonderful plan for our lives means health, wealth and prosperity. For us Americans, that is. Us extra-blessed Americans who Jesus loves best, of course.
Whether we personally belong to a church that openly espouses Prosperity Theology or not, this terrible heresy has infected American Christianity like a plague that just will not go away.
Worse, far worse, it is driving people to atheism in droves.
Here is how it works; here is how this theology creates an army of Job’s Friends.
If I’m invested in believing that Jesus has a wonderful plan for my life, and that the level of my stridency in my faith in Him is what is keeping the Boogeyman away, what conclusions can I draw when the Boogeyman visits you?
Obviously there is something wrong with you and your faith.
Because we know that Jesus has a wonderful plan for our lives, if bad things are happening to you, well then, it must be your own damn fault.
This sort of belief in Jesus–that belief in Him is what is both keeping bad things from happening and causing good to rain down on us–is really nothing more or less than idolatry.
WHAT?!?!
Am I saying that belief in Jesus could be an idol?
Is that even possible?
Yeah. It is.
It is no different than any other sort of magical thinking. This thinking reduces Jesus to nothing more than a rabbit’s foot.
A belief in Jesus is not a talisman against misfortune and disaster. This magical thinking is, in fact, the exact opposite of what Jesus said about following him.
Jesus never said, “I’ve got a wonderful plan for you life.”
He said that, before choosing to follow him, a person should, “Count the cost.”
When disaster befalls our brother or sister in Christ*, this creates anxiety in us. And out of our own anxiety, we become shitheads to our suffering friends.
Because we need to believe that we have the talisman against evil, i.e., our belief in Jesus, we decide that their calamity must indicate some spiritual weakness or sin in them.
We need to believe that the bad that happened to them can’t happen to us because our faith is strong, right? We’ve ferreted out the sin from our lives, unlike them, right?
And even if we don’t openly say these things, or even realize that we think this way, we communicate this loud and clear.
That’s why, without fail, the very next mile-marker on the road to atheism, after the precipitating disaster, is the arrival of Job’s Friends. And those friends are us.
*Don’t even get me started on how we treat non-believers when disaster strikes them.
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Well said! I would have turned away a long time ago if I based my faith on everything being hunky dory!
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Yeah, that’s just silliness, isn’t it? Life isn’t honky dory. I don’t know why we act so surprised when it isn’t.
I love this part of Psalm 23 and have used it often when talking to people going through really hard times. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.”
God NEVER promised an easy, happy, prosperity everything rainbow life. But he did promise to be there when things got hard. We forget so easily forget that this world is not our home.
Thanks for posting Chloe – well said.
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Thanks for sharing this great Psalm of comfort. It feels like very cold comfort indeed when I’m in the darkness of the shadow and I know God could change my circumstances if He wanted to, but He doesn’t.
This has caused me to seriously rethink how I praise God when my life is going well. Any good that has happened in my life has been serendipitous and is not a credit to my goodness or my great faith.
Bravo my dear.. wonderful post and SO very on the mark. When our son died to many in our extended homeschooling community this was because we were not Christian, and HAD we been this would not have happened. Again when one of our older son’s took us on Mr. Toads Wild drug-included ride with him, it was because we did not “know Jesus”.. ( For the record I am a very big fan of the historical Jesus, but not so much for the way his fan club acts most of the time).. But now that things are going to hell-in-a-handbasket for these folks who once denounced us they are falling apart in every direction, including their faith.. it is very hard to watch ( the homeschooling world for as big as it has gotten is still a very small social world at times).. can’t wait for the comments to roll in.
When a Christian’s faith is dependent on their life turning out perfectly, they are a slippery slope.
This isn’t to say that my friends who have walked away from their faith based their life on this perfection.
Today’s post is entirely about US, the people who still believe and how we treat those who are struggling.
I got to to thinking about this after posting my Twilight threads and reading your husband’s post on resiliency.
I can hear people in my head (who I know…I’m not talking about the “voices”…that’s an entirely different post. heh) not being very happy that I gave Edward the credit for pulling me out of depression instead of God.
Edward/God, who’s to say.. those words, that book were the right thing for you at the right time. When Gabe died I clung to a very tiny phrase, an idea from a story of Siddhartha ( the man who would come to be known as the Buddha- for those a bit loose on their knowledge of other religions).. In quick form the story deals with a cup of ceremonial tea that is dropped and the cup is shattered, the tea sinks into the earth. .. Yes, the cup (the body) is gone, but the tea (the soul) is not gone, it has just moved on to another location outside the cup. I resonate with this idea and it held me and still holds me steady when the pain of my loss threatens to be more than I can bare. Tea, cup, Edward, Twilight, God, each other, it is all part of the web of existence and I am happy enough with that.
Maddie
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That’s a beautiful way to look at it, Maddie.
Gosh, I love you, Chloe. I think you nailed it.
While there wasn’t a single huge event that caused my ex-husband lose his faith, there were dozens of events both large and small that kept making him question it. He had done pretty much anything you can do to earn God’s favor (teach Sunday school, give away lots of money, act “nice”) but he didn’t feel like he was living out that “wonderful plan” that Jesus is supposed to give His followers. So, my ex emotionally gave up on God while trying to still appear to be a believer. Because he has a reputation as a fine, upstanding Christian Businessman to uphold, ya’ know.
Jesus never promised a happy, easy life. Instead what Jesus REALLY said was: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Ouch.
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Having seen several devout believers walk completely away from faith altogether, I have to wonder what the connection is there?
What do we do when God lets us so completely down? That’s hard enough, but then what happens to our faith when the other believers start pelting rocks at us?
The social ramifications of admitting that we no longer believe are tremendous, especially in certain communities. It really is too bad because I think a season of unbelief doesn’t mean that a person will never return to a belief in God. But I don’t think anybody is helped by living a dishonest life.
Jesus said that it was truth that would set us free.
Depends on how you define “wonderful”, doesn’t it?
(What an odd time to summon up the image of Bill Clinton…)
If I am predominately focused on my own happiness, or comfort, and I believe that Christianity is my means to help me achieve those goals, (and – bonus! – it will also protect me and mine from all harm) then, odds are good that that kind of faith is going to let me down.
But do I believe that as a child of God, that there is a plan for my life? Well, yes, I do, in that I believe there are good works that God has prepared in advance for me/each of us to do. And they may have nothing to do with my own personal happiness or comfort: but they may, nonetheless, cause my life to be a “wonder-filled” thing.
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Tere are two parts of this “wonderful plan for your life” thing that are dangerous for believers.
First, is how this plays into our own faith, but also how this plays into how we feel about, and then subsequently treat, the struggles of others.
When someone is struggling, or in pain, or has had catastrophe strike them, how heavily invested is our faith in them maintaining the same faith as us for US to feel okay?
We risk being one of Job’s Friends when our own anxiety and insecurities cloud our ability to see the pain of others.
Chloe, I agree. I am a Christian counselor, and so many of the folks that come in need a place away from their Christian support groups to have a real reaction to the circumstances of their life.
Leanne, thank you for stopping by and confirming what I’ve seen and felt myself.
I somehow feel that we are all so deep-down frightened for our own faith that when someone else’s is shaken, it is us that can’t handle it. We want others to be okay so that our faith will be okay. That’s not right.
I never thought of things this way, thankx! If I thought Jesus were going to save me from tough times I’d probably be an athiest too. Looking at things from this point of view will help me in discussions in the future.
If this post helps believers treat other believers better then my goal has been achieved! Thanks.
Hey Chloe,
I still believe that Jeremiah 29:11 is true… the He does know that plans that He has for me, plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans to give me a hope and a future.
I don’t think that “prosper” means finances.
I also still believe that *all* things work together for good for those who love God; and have been called according to His purpose.
I think the key is that He knows the plans… not that we get to decide the plan, or that the plan will even will even happen. It’s that He knows the plan…. and the plan is good.
Good does not mean easy. Good does not mean fun. Good – is simply good.
There are things I tell myself when my faith is shaky about God’s goodness and His love that comfort me. But it would appear that these things aren’t a comfort to others in their time of need. I do know this mass exodus has made me sad though and I’m seeking to understand it.
I was thinking about this last night, based on a friend’s blog post. (She’s been through what seems like the book of Job, and she posted all the things people said to her, during those times.) It seems to me that the “you must have done something, to make these things happen” comes from the same basic question of “if God is good, why do bad things happen?” It’s really hard to let Him be in charge, when things don’t go the way we think they should.
Since these sorts of questions are as old as Job, I think they go to our fundamental misunderstanding of God. (Although, frankly I’m not sure that God does that great of a job making Himself understood all the time.)
And we can be sure it is a complete misunderstanding since we’ve got God’s strong, and very negative, response to Job’s friends.
I would love to read her post, if you have a link and she’d be willing to share.
Great post.
Thank you, Pamela. I like seeing you around. It always makes me smile.
Excellent post, Chloe.
Hey Lore! Nice to see you.
Good post!!
A slight disagreement though. I don’t think it is possible to make Jesus an idol but it is possible make the “wonderful plan” an idol.
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That’s a good clarification, Kelly. I didn’t say that people make Jesus into an idol, but rather that people make their own belief in Jesus their idol.
I’ve had some pretty crappy things happen to me this past year or two. And I am tired of it. But I do believe that God ultimately has plans for a hope and future for me. But I think it’s an eternal hope and future…not necessarily a comfortable, happy life here right now. I will tell you, I think before I speak now. And often I don’t have the words to say. And at that point I’d rather shut up than say, “It will all be okay.” Because sometimes it’s not okay and won’t be this side of heaven.
If there is a God (and I believe there is) and there is a heaven then our hope is in heaven. The mistake we fat and happy Americans have made is thinking that God means for our heaven to be here in the things we have and the things we consume.
One of the thoughts I’ve had lately is…. if my faith requires me to mostly fellowship with like-minded people and read the writings of like-minded people and stay in the Word every day, what kind of faith is that? If being around not-like-minded people leads me to challenge what I’ve held dear, does that make the people or the faith wrong?
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I have this thought too. If my faith needs a constant cast to hold it together then it really is likely a very fragile faith.
Well said. I agree, there is too much of this attitude. We need to fellowship with believers who help us stay focused on truths like these; who help with our walk. Much of the Christian fellowship I see is more like a faith contes’ or blessing brag- I don’t know, but I left the whole “Church is my life” thing behind- church is my CHURCH, where I go for refreshment, not where I live…. anyway….
Ack- that was ‘faith contest’…
Maybe we’ve come to expect too much from The Church in the way that we’ve come to expect too much from husbands and wives. People cannot fulfill our needs 100% of the time. They just can’t. They will always let us down.
But for those of us left, maybe it is time to take a hard look at our roll, if we have one, in this mass exodus we’re seeing. Do we have a part to play? And if so, what is it?
If anyone is interested in why young people leave the Church, check out this article from Barna.org: Five Myths About Young Adult Church Dropout
Thank you. Thank you for writing this post. As one who found faith in high school, went on to ministry and teaching others, and now feels completely lost and wanting to jump ship after several experiences in my life (including but not limited to hard times financially, jack-ass christians and abuse of power in the church), this was really good to read. and actually restores hope.
Thank you for saying what I needed to hear and what I could not voice!
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I think there is still is hope, Stephanie.
Now that I’ve seen so many people go from believer to atheist, I’m trying to put some pieces of the puzzle together looking for common themes. As the Body we ought to be seriously looking within ourselves to see what our role is when so many of our fellow believers are amputating themselves off.
I love this post.
Thanks for stopping by and taking your time to read it and comment.
Thank you!
I really am wondering whether atheism might not be a step FORWARD from the kind of “faith” you describe.
Well done.
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I think that atheism can be part of a walk towards God for some people.
I think the Jesus does have a wonderful plan for my life, but I also think it is wonderful from His perspective. From my perspective it has been totally crappy many, many times for extended periods. But I believe, with Julian of Norwich, then when I get to heaven I will look back with God’s eyes and be able to say that all was well done.
But that is heaven and I am well aware that what comforts me is not what comforts everyone, so in difficult times I tend to think a hug, a meal, a silent prayer and a tissue are more use than anything else. And allowing people to say that life sucks etc etc without being told to pull their socks up and believe harder.
Thank you, Tabitha. It is important to remember that what comforts me is not what might comfort someone else.
I think a good friend is a friend who can listen to our fears and doubts without making it about them. That’s a good friend, and a rare one.
I agree with most of what was said, but I have to disagree that Jesus doesn’t have a wonderful plan for your life. Jesus does have a wonderful plan for your life, but the objective is not materialism and physical comfort and warm fuzzies. The path to get to where you are going is not always going to be easy. You get to be tested, tried, molded, sifted… Matthew, Peter, and Paul all wrote about rejoicing in suffering, trials, persecution, etc. Why? Because they knew there was something greater, they knew it was perfecting them. I’m sure if someone asked them if Jesus had a wonderful plan for them, they would think so. It’s all a matter of perspective!
So true, Sophie.
Chole – great post! I’ve often wondered how much of the Word people have actually read if/when they have the impression that our faith in God and a relationship with Christ is a ticket to no heartache, incredible success and no direct impact from the chaos we live in? Only in the West (and specifically in the US) does this conversation even take place. The numbers alone would tell us that the mass majority of Christians live in parts of the world where there is no hope for the incredible opportunities of “success” that are experienced here. That their daily lives are filled with the things that most of us could not endure for the shortest period of time. The prosperity gospel has done more harm to the people of the church in America than any scandal I can think of. It also does a disservice in that it keeps the focus of our faith on us… when in fact it has everything to do with others. As for how we sometimes treat other believers and even non-believers who are experiencing challenges or blowback in their lives; “Christianity would be great if not for the Christians” is a theme that too often rings true. Thanks for bringing it up!
This is what stuns me. Most people, most Christians do not live in America and do not have the benefits and comforts we enjoy here. Our mistake has been to think that because we have wealth that must mean that God loves us more or protects us more from the slings and arrows of life.
I think that when one of our own falls down, it brings much anxiety into us because the truth is that none of us can extend our own life by even a moment. We are not in any control.
Tragedies and sorrows that befall others are a deep reminding of our powerlessness, and a reminding that none of us likes very much.
I lost my faith when after a year of “giving my life to Jesus” my mom was murdered in front of my eyes. *I know you probably know by now cause I’m constantly posting crap about it on the internetz, but here we go again* Before it happened I used to literally carry my bible in my purse to college and read it during my breaks.. I was THAT into it. So after the murder, I was PISSED OFF at God. I would think things like “how could you do this to me when I believed in you? Why did you let this happen to me? .. God must not be real if he lets this sort of thing happen!” I don’t know when, but somewhere along the line I was taught/under the impression that accepting Jesus and giving your life to God means no tragedy can occur. Then, the murderer was treated better than my family & I, and almost got off on “Insanity”.. even furthered my belief that God was not real. It wasn’t until this year that I was able to get past these feelings. I was baptized a few months ago and happy to be a believer again, stronger than ever. I still get confused during sermons when they say “God knows every detail about your life.. every single hair on your head. All your days are already written…” I still get kind of mad because I think “oh really? God planned on my mom being murdered at 37?” Someone once said something helpful to me on the topic. She said “There are so many people starving to death in the world when there is more than enough food for EVERY ONE, and people say “How does God let this happen?”.. it’s not God letting it happen, it’s people letting it happen.” I also agree with you that Christians are the first to “kill off their weak” , it’s terrible. Some of the things I See going on or hear about make me ashamed to call myself a christian. No wonder we have such a bad rep! I want to scream from a roof top “No, really, I know God! He is loving, gentle, understanding..not what all these people make it seem!” Ok, starting to ramble.. Thanks for posting this, as always, a great read and makes you think.
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Oh my gosh, Megan. I am so sorry for your loss and for the horror of your mother’s murder that you had to witness. That must have been beyond terrible. I can’t even imagine.
I think you earned a season of anger at God. I have had periods where I didn’t want to believe in God because it was just too painful to do so. So I stopped.
Just as you’ve said, much of the tragedy in this world is caused by human selfishness. There is enough food to feed everyone, but the food is distributed unfairly.
We have the means to make the world a much better place for many, but we don’t do it.
This here is why I started following you on twitter. I need to hear this stuff. Thanks.
Hey, Adelas, Thanks for the follow!
Prosperity churches worship a shallow God. Really, he’s more of a attention grabbing celebrity than a God. Pray to me and worship me and I’ll give you money.
They should change the word “prosperity to “prostitution”.
But, this post begs the question: why do you believe in/have a relationship with/pray to Jesus?
Especially if it’s cold comfort during the dark times?
I have a relationship with God and I don’t believe that he’s here to make my life hunky-dory.
But, I do feel, like in the hard times, that it’s helpful to have someone with whom to talk things through, or conversely to yell at.
What’s your reason for your relationship?
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I’m the type that when I’m in a dark time I’d like God to fix my problems instead of sitting around holding my hand and telling me how much He understands my pain.
Why do I have this relationship with Him anyway? Hmmmm. I think that’s the exact question many of my friends have asked this year.
This is a great post. I too am sadden by so many turning their hearts away from the faith. I think it is important to understand that bad things can and will happen, but God’s love lasts forever. It has been in my darkest hours that I have leaned on God the most. I understand that He DOES in fact have a plan for my life and that ALL things work together for my good. That is where faith comes in. Most find faith easy when things are going well. But holding on to it when hell is breaking loose is important.
Additionally, I think Christians need to share their faith more opposed to selling Christ as a Pollyanna response to life. Bad things can and will happen. We have to love people through them.
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I hope that I can become a Christian that can help carry other people’s burdens rather than pelt rocks at them when they stumble and fall. I know many Christians who do this very well. Sadly, I know just as many or more who really suck at it.
On target? NO, it is a bullseye! I plan on passing this along and reading your blog. For now it is time for work.
Thank you, Leanne.
I hope that this post will help us all treat each other just a bit better. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I do appreciate it so much.
When I linked to this post on my blog, someone left a comment I thought was right on, and very important. She observed that Jesus IS the wonderful plan God has for our lives. And it’s true, isn’t it? The destiny of the Christian is to be “conformed to the image of the Son.”
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Thanks for linking me. I am trying to catch up today on my comments and blog reading. I’ll be heading over to see your post today soon.
Three years ago, I was diagnosed (at one doctor’s appointment) with both scleroderma and FSH Muscular Dystrophy. Look them up, they’re serious and unrelated. How did I respond? I laughed, as Sara laughed. God had given me two gifts unto my salvation. Did I turn from him? No, I embraced my diagnosis, and I drew closer to Him through prayer. Afterall, I have the holy ones, the people ‘not-of-this-world,’ the A-gios, the saints’ lives to draw upon. This is something the Western Christian lacks, the heroic examples of those who suffered deprivation, torture, and death cheerfully for Christ’s sake unto their salvation. Their triumphant journeys make my suffering look small, and insignificant.
Then, I started praying as I never had before. One night, as I prayed, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Peace visited me and I ‘knew’ I would be fine. I am in remission from scleroderma. I am joyously managing my physical deterioration. I fill other’s lives with smiles, I visit the sick, I contribute whenever and whereever I can to charitable works I can no longer physically assist. I am fortunate. I may never ‘work’ again, but I do give to others.
To every life some misfortune comes. Our askesis or exercise of our faith is in how we continue in love, and charity toward others. There is always someone in poorer spirit, physical health, or financial straits than you are. God is amazing, and will provide, as he does for the birds, but in measure to how we respond as faithful Christians. It’s not about the house, the car and the vacation; its about the second coat, the drink of water, sharing our last crumb with another. It’s about the joy we share with others, not the bitterness we allow ourselves to wallow in.
Your testimony of how you handled crises upon crises is amazing.
Well-written and provocative post, Chloe.
I’ve mentally thrown around this whole idea of Jesus having a specific plan or not for individuals for a long time and frankly, I don’t see much evidence for the former idea in scripture or in my own 25 years of knowing Him. I mean, certain people were used to do specific things on occasion in the Bible but for the most part, people were just encouraged to live honorably and with gratitude. I think that’s the “plan” even though we often fail horribly at that. Oh, how I need God’s grace…
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I am also not really seeing how there can be a cohesive plan for us that could include free will. In fact, I don’t understand any of that at all.
If God planned for me to marry some guy, but I never went to the library where I would have met him then does God keep trying to put the guy in my path, or does he make a new plan, or did God know I was never going to go to the library in the first place AND that was part of His plan?
This is the stuff that makes my head hurt.
Define “wonder”.
won·der [wuhn-der]
verb (used without object)
1. to think or speculate curiously: to wonder about the origin of the solar system.
2. to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often followed by at ): He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.
3. to doubt: I wonder if she’ll really get here.
Does that help?
I’ve never been your normal churchy Christian, so I’ve never had this identity crisis. I asked the same questions before I ever became a Christian and decided that orthodox, denominational Christianity was not for me.
It still isn’t.
I believe things about God, Jesus Christ and the bible that sets the hair on fire of most Christians I know.
Like, I don’t and never embraced the trinity. And I sleep well at night with this non-belief.
I don’t believe people go to heaven when they die.
Oh, I could go on.
I’m just glad I never embraced church and denominational religion. Because I’ve never had an identity crisis.
But, I firmly believe in the bible as truth. I just actually read it and think about it. I think that simple fact alone separates me from 99 out of 100 Christians.
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You made perfect sense to me, Mags.
If there is a God, then there is a God. Our beliefs about that God don’t have anything to do with His reality.
I stand by my statement in this post that I think for some of us our “belief” itself becomes our God. That’s a dangerous place to be.
Look, sorry about the lack of coherency in my last comment. Too much red wine. Oy.
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Chloe – this was an awesome post!
When I feel myself getting all, “Why is God doing this to me?” Or “Where is Jesus when you need Him?” I remind myself:
It’s not what is God doing for me, it’s what am *I* doing for *GOD*.
In no way did he promise life would be EASY. He did not promise no illness, no strife, no trauma, no heartache.
When you’re on the bottom, the only place you have to look, is up.
And? We live in a fallen world where bad things just happen sometimes.
Great post!
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I think that suffering is two-fold.
1. How we cope with suffering ourselves. When coping with out own suffering we use the things that comfort us the most. Thinking that God has a plan for our lives is very comforting to some people. Remembering that it isn’t about what God is doing for us is comforting for some people. (Well, most people probably feel better when they get out of themselves and do something for someone else).
2. How we cope with the suffering of others. Remembering that the things I use to comfort myself could feel like a cold slap in the face to someone else would be a good thing to remember. The worst part of any crisis I’ve had is when I’ve felt like other Christians then tried to make the problem ALSO about my faith.
Then I don’t just have the first problem, now I also have a faith problem?
I’ve never found this comforting in the midst of the pain.
FWIW, many of my friends and I have this discussion except we bat for the other team. I suspect that this is the kind of issue that strikes people of any faith.
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Jack, you’re a Satanist?!?! You had me fooled. Okay, I’m joking.
Dogmatic faith that hurts others is not limited to Christianity. That’s for sure.
I find that many Christians feel God’s providence is connected with success and the satisfaction of desire, rather than following a suffering Christ into a fallen world. As an Orthodox Christian, I believe a re-apprection for God’s sharing our suffering rather than overcoming it, is a more biblical perspective.
Dave, I’ve always had tremendous respect for Orthodox Christianity. I don’t live anywhere close to an Orthodox Church or I would definitely check that out. I think for now I’m just unfit for any church though.
God’s wonderful plan for us is that, having been made in the image of God, we should be changed into His likeness. And to be like Jesus…didn’t He say something about taking up a cross to follow Him? Look at how our Lord’s wonder-full, divine, and only-blessed life was lived, with no place to lay his head. He suffered persecutions, mockings, human loneliness and finally, crucifixion. That is God’s plan for us, too: that we would suffer with Him even while we look forward to glory. And by His grace, we can count it all joy.
Thank you for this good reminder!
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We all need a reminder that our job is to help carry the yokes of others, not make their burdens worse by piling out own fears and judgments on them as they struggle.
Thanks, Chloe. Well said.
Thank you, Bella. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
I do not know where to begin! (this post, the depression posts, the birthing posts, the SL forums posts….I may only get to this one, tonight.)
I found you through Andrea’s fb (chicken soup post….that’s me:). Am so glad I did. This post speaks particularly to me, as I am….well, like you in my belief. D’oh!
One book that helped me verbalize my thoughts was “Decision Making and the Will of God” by Freisen. Also, in ‘Simply Christian’ and ‘Surprised by Hope’ by N.T. Wright talks about how the modern western church has so skewed what heaven is/will be and how that affects our lives now.
I always feel very out of place in our church (among other places). I know people *mean* well but God did not ‘will’, plan or cause my miscarriages or my husband’s job loss several years ago or (fill in the blank). Those difficulties are part of a broken world, but He did not cause them. They served to strengthened and refine my faith and I hope my responses to those trials honored Him. When I reflect His character in my own trials, He is glorified. He doesn’t *need* to cause the trials to glorify Himself.
Thanks for your words and this blog!!
I’m glad you did, too.
I will look into those books. I’m hoping to get a Kindle for Christmas which should make my book reading a lot easier.
I also don’t think God causes these problems in our lives. I think most of the time people say stuff like this to comfort themselves.
I discovered your blog for an entirely oddball reason: a google search for a picture of the Tick (and your husband is correct. He is the greatest superhero ever). On a whim I just started reading your bio entry and found myself following links. These are some great thoughts on the messy realities of living in the real world. Thanks!
Hey Jim, glad you found me. Life is messy. Sometimes it’s really messy. Stay tuned for when I write soon on just how freaking messy it can be.
I LOVE telling my husband that “Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life” just because I love seeing him break out in trembling and start shouting about bad theology. It’s right up there with “A God shaped hole in everyone’s heart…” He really loves that one too (not). “Come as you are” is also a great one especially if you mutter under your breath “…and leave the same way.” Lately his favorite to roll his eyes to is the song “Someone worth dying for,” which I will be blogging about soon! Ahhh, bad theology; it’s the stuff of legends.
Spot on. Maybe your best post yet.
All people deserve very good life and loans or just short term loan would make it better. Because people’s freedom bases on money.
Hi
Jesus does NOT have a wonderful plan for your life.
i would like to say thank you about this cool post,and this idea very helpful to me,
Thank You
“Then Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me. ” – Matthew 16:24
Jesus plainly said that being his follower would be difficult. But what blessings a Christian can enjoy! – a clean conscience; everlasting life; and of course, friendship with Jesus and with his father, Jehovah.
Hello Everyone
Jesus does NOT have a wonderful plan for your life.
It feels great reading such post this way. Fairly excellent submit, keep the good writing coming!