Accept everything from God, good and bad

In my last couple articles, I talked about Christians being weary and joyful at the same time. This world is full of problems. The devil is alive and busy causing us as many problems as he is able to devise, and there are lots of them. Yet at the same time we have joy because we know we will not live in this sinful world forever, that there is a better world awaiting us.

The question is validly raised, why does God allow problems in our lives. He is all powerful, why can’t he just wave his hand (assuming he had a hand) and take all our problems away. Why does he allow the devil free reign on earth, to pull all his pranks and mischief?

When I was in basic training in the Army, my trainers did many things to make life uncomfortable for us: long hours, hard maneuvers, lots of mud and grime, difficult exercises. Well, they were not doing these things because they enjoyed watching us suffer; they did them to toughen us up so that when and if we ever got into combat, our chances of survival were greatly increased.

James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.” God wants all his children (you and me) to be with him in his eternal kingdom. And he will do what is necessary to get us there, even allowing pain and suffering if need be.

I cannot say whether this story is true or not because I wasn’t there, but I have been told that when soldiers were aboard troopships during WW II, heading for the Pacific islands to fight the Japanese, life on those ships was miserable: poor sleeping conditions, lousy food, long hours of work; life on those ships was not to be enjoyed, and as a result there was no desire to remain on those ships. Then when the time came to leave those ships and land on Japanese held islands, they were so pent up with anger that they gladly left the ships and took out their anger on the Japanese. Apparently there was method to the madness.

For some, life on earth is a piece of cake: they have everything they want, all their needs are being met, and they have no daily problems. Scripture is full of statements that such people find it hard to enter into eternal life with God. They are happy with life on earth; they have no need for God. Even in these circumstances God will cause events to take place to turn these people’s attention to him.

There will be times for every one of us when we need God’s tough discipline to keep our attention focused on him and not on earthly pleasures. I’m not saying that we cannot enjoy the pleasures this world offers, but when these pleasures so consume us that all our attention focuses on them and not on God, it’s time for God’s disciplinary actions.

And we do not believe that it is our good actions that win us eternal life with God. That is won for us by Jesus Christ, who died on the cross that our sin might be forgiven. For Jesus’ sake God does accept his sacrifice; he died for us so that we don’t have to die for our sin, and God forgives us our sin when we trust in Jesus that he completed all that is necessary for us to be reconciled to God. And as Jesus rose in victory over death, we have his promise that trusting in his sacrifice, we also will rise from the dead to live eternally in his kingdom.

In the meantime we accept whatever troubles God allows into our lives, thanking God for his fatherly discipline, and direct our attention to the wonderful gift he offers us, eternal life with him.