Misunderstood

Lately I've become aware of the fact that perhaps God may be misunderstood. I'm not sure if I'm the best representative to speak on His behalf, but some things need to be said, so guess I'm gonna say 'em.

I read an article in the Sunday newspaper "Imagining no God means playing God" by Tim Lee. You can read the article  here . This article talked about a man, Isler, who after being raised Methodist became an atheist. For Isler, "with age came deeper introspection into the seeming conflict between his religious beliefs and the real world, a world where the existence of evil and suffering contravened his religion's all-loving, all-powerful God." In other words- how could this loving God allow such suffering and pain?  Compounding the issue for him was the fact that God would send people to hell. These inconsistencies in the religious teaching he received caused him to determine that there was no God.

I've heard this a lot- how can a loving God allow such pain? If God is love, would He send people to eternal suffering? In our human, logical minds, it doesn't add up. But here's the thing- there's nothing logical or mathematical about God and Jesus.

God is not human. He's not a super awesome version of ourselves that we can imagine up. He is HOLY.  He can't be around our sin because of that holiness. It is who He is. We have sin because Adam and Eve made a choice to go their own way, instead of His way. Our inheritance from that choice is our sin nature- inside our very core, dispelling the popular notion that all people are inherently good. Just kinda the way it goes. That's the cards we are dealt. Despite what religion may tell you, you can't work your way out of it, you can't shine up your shoes and do good things and make yourself holy. You can't fix this. Our sin nature is who we are.

SO here comes the good great news: He wouldn't be satisfied with this separation. God absolutely refused to let us go to hell without a fight- He paid the highest cost possible. He sent His son, Jesus. Again, you can't be logical here- your mind can't figure it out. Jesus came, He died, He rose again from the dead, and He loves you. With a crazy, unyielding, unstoppable love. And it's free! See, God paid the greatest cost with no way for us to repay Him. There's no ulterior motive on His part. He just wants to be with His kids. All that is required of us is acceptance. Gift: offered. We accept. End of story.

Now instead of a sin nature as an inheritance, we are heirs to the kingdom of God, and we can have that kingdom life now. We can have a life of peace, joy, hope, even when things are bleak.

Because yes, this world is broken. Painful, horrible things happen here. There's no doubt about that. What I've learned is that often He prioritizes the inner growth over the outer miracle. No pain we ever experience is greater than the love He will give in it's place. He weeps with us. He weeps FOR us. Luke 19:41-44 says that He wept for His kids as He rode into Jerusalem.

In 2 Peter 3:9, it says He isn't really being slow about his promise (to return), as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

He's waiting..for YOU. He doesn't want anyone to perish. Try to get rid of the judgmental God you have in your mind, and let what is real and true replace it. He adores you. He fights for you. He just wants to be with you. Really....that is the truth. All He wants you to do is accept it.