By Pastor Mike Dodson Jr.
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?
This seems to be the hottest question that I get asked as a pastor and I think that in today’s era it is important for us to have this answer.
I recall a few years back hearing a movie line that said “God is a mean kid with a magnifying glass.” This was one of the harshest movie lines that I have ever heard and I found myself greatly angered. The movie that I am referring to is Bruce Almighty, and this line is a complete contradiction to the truth of what God really is and how He really works.
God is a god of love and someone that loves is not one that enjoys watching people suffer and struggle day in and out, in fact we should really think about what love is. The bible tells us in so many places about the vast amount of love God has for each of us, and yes this includes those who have not believed in Him yet. If you really want to understand what love is you need to look at probably the most well -known scripture of all; John 3:16 states “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” With this scripture in mind, let’s take just a few minutes to explain how suffering and pain really started.
Do you recall all the way back in the book of Genesis when man and woman were in the garden? This is where it all started. God told them very specifically that they could eat of everything in the garden with the exception of one tree; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then we see that Satan came to them as a serpent and tempted the woman and she accepted the fruit of the forbidden tree. Now the devil tempted her the same way he tempted them, he seems to tempt us. He said “surely you will not die if you eat it” (paraphrased of course.) At this point Adam and Eve realized had their nakedness revealed and all of the problems began.
Notice something with me, God is a loving god as I have stated and with Him being such, He gave the opportunity through free will for us to make decisions for ourselves. We can decide to do things that have certain consequences just like Adam and Eve. God gave us that opportunity and He is not a micromanager. In fact He wants us to be able to live and for that life He gave us Jesus. Everything has a byproduct, and I mean everything. When we sin we produce evil, and for that proof I recall once again the book of Genesis. There was no sin in the world and there was no evil. I once read in a book that stated that “evil was produced by sin.” When we sin we produce our own consequences, problems and other such issues.
God is not a bad guy at all then is He? Well, it still appears that He is when you look at the people suffering with cancer, or being washed away by a tsunami, or being killed in war. I want you to know that I am not saying that our personal mistakes or sins cause cancer or early death. It comes from the Garden of Eden and with the first bite of the forbidden fruit. The questions that I repeatedly find myself answering seem to all be about the fact that it is unfair that God would take out people in these massive ways. Well, I can explain very simply that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, and He came to teach the ways to get to the Father and to be the only way to get to the Father (John 14:6). In this, we need to notice that we each have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and have eternal life. Again I say that it is our choice, yes our choice.
God is not the bad guy, because the bad or mean god would not give you a way out and to be with Him eternally. The facts remain in the word of God that tell us we are not guaranteed the next breath. God gave each the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ and to be with Him eternally, and we are the only ones we can blame if we reject the opportunity. God never says that we will have eternal life on earth, and frankly I live here now and would hate to think that eternity has all of these problems and struggles.
Well, that is the ask Pastor Mike for now, send me your questions and I will do my best to give you the answer through the word of God. May God bless you and live as Christ!
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Mike, great post. We are so excited to have you as part of the team!
Welcome aboard Mike!
I to am upset by that line in the movie. However, I’m more angered by the statement that there is no God. Those who say that God is really a mean kid with a magnifying glass are the same people declaring there is no God. While I understand that both statements come from the human desire to make oneself god. It is Satan’s best weapon against us. Those who choose to belittle God or deny His existence sadden me because they support, knowingly or unknowingly, the unproven theory of evolution, also created by a God-hater.
Having been saved later in life, I can relate to these self-sufficient people. I know how hard it is to maintain that life. You can’t ever forget the stories you make up to promote yourself; to make yourself important or desirable in the eyes of others. If only they knew, as I do, that it’s so much easier to let go and let God.
With the efforts of people like you, perhaps we can reach every person on earth with the “Good News” that is truly liberating. Thanks for you insight and keep up the good work.