OPINION:
Within the aftermath of the tragic taking pictures at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, it is only natural for us to question why God allows such horrific things to happen on earth. These moments can test our faith and leave us searching for hope and answers.
As Christians, we turn to our faith for guidance, finding solace within the pages of the Bible. While the Word of God may not offer immediate solutions or eradicate all forms of suffering, it does impart profound wisdom and hope that can sustain us through our most challenging times.
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Suffering is an unfortunate reality of life that has plagued humanity since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. It is necessary to acknowledge that God does not desire suffering for His children; however, He allows it as a consequence of living in a fallen world.
The Bible reminds us that God is compassionate (Psalm 34:18) and guarantees to be close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3). It could not appear as if God is current within the ache or utter darkness, however He’s. Even in our darkest moments, Jesus extends His consolation and understands our ache as a result of He skilled nice struggling throughout His time on earth. By trusting in His knowledge and love, we are able to discover consolation in realizing He walks alongside us throughout our darkest moments.
Trusting in God amid tragedy could be difficult, however it presents a chance for religious progress. In Romans 5:3-5, Paul writes these profound phrases, “however we rejoice in our sufferings, realizing that struggling produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope doesn’t put us to disgrace, as a result of God’s love has been poured into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Within the Previous Testomony, Job is a main instance of an individual who grew and developed on account of enduring struggling. In his historical story, Job experiences the unimaginable lack of his youngsters, wealth, and well being. And but, Job remained steadfast in his belief in God’s sovereignty over his life (1:21). Regardless of his turmoil and confusion, Job saved speaking with God, which led him to a deeper understanding of God’s greatness and love for him. A worthwhile lesson we see in Job’s life that also resonates in our hearts right now is that our religion shouldn’t be contingent on circumstances or materials objects however resides in our Creator. We discover nice hope and assurance in Job as a result of he demonstrates the power to endure struggling with out permitting it to deprave his character or religious convictions.
Via his struggling, Job turned extra resilient and reliant on God, displaying gratitude for being alive and growing a better capability to empathize with others.
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One other instance is the lifetime of Paul, the apostle, within the New Testomony. Regardless of dealing with quite a few challenges in his mission to disseminate the teachings of Jesus Christ, Paul asserted that his afflictions and struggling had been a gateway to experiencing Christ’s energy (2 Corinthians 12:9). This serves as a potent reminder that even in instances of adversity, we’re introduced with alternatives for private progress and transformation.
As Christians, we should not lose sight that after we encounter struggling or tragedy, our experiences are half of a bigger narrative orchestrated by a loving and sovereign God. Whereas we could not totally comprehend His intentions, we are able to have religion that He’s working all issues collectively for our final profit (Romans 8:28). Because of this despite the fact that we could not presently perceive the aim behind our struggling, we could be assured that God will finally use it for a better good.
In instances of hardship, our religion can show to be an amazing supply of power. It not solely helps us construct qualities like resilience, empathy, and compassion however allows us to get nearer to God by means of prayer, looking for His steerage as we face the difficulties that lie forward.
Within the face of tragedy, one other stunning high quality emerges – the reward of connecting with fellow believers who provide immense consolation, assist, and understanding. This connection enriches our lives throughout tough instances and reminds us that we aren’t alone in our struggles.
Maybe you’re feeling a number of ache and confusion proper now and questioning why issues are occurring the way in which they’re. I’ll not know what you’re going by means of, however I do know this: God hasn’t left you alone in your grief. He has a plan past what you’ll be able to at the moment perceive or see. It could take a while at the beginning turns into clear, so be affected person and lean on Him for consolation. As the good British preacher Charles Spurgeon penned in “Pain and God’s Grace”: “God is in life and loss of life, in illness and in well being. This, absolutely, will soften the pains of illness, and gild the fun of restoration.”
Within the face of the Lakewood Church tragedy, the Christian perspective provides hope and steerage. We discover solace by inserting our belief in God’s unwavering love and guarantees, realizing that our struggling shouldn’t be in useless. We will navigate difficult instances with braveness and resilience by means of prayer, looking for biblical knowledge, and leaning on fellow believers for assist. Allow us to depend on Jesus Christ as we endure struggling, recognizing that He holds the solutions to our most difficult questions and can finally carry magnificence from ashes (Isaiah 61:3).
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Jason Jimenez is the founder and president of Stand Strong Ministries and is a revered Christian-worldview speaker, and school member at Summit Ministries. He’s the best-selling creator of “Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over the Church,” “Difficult Conversations: A Sensible Information to Talk about Controversial Matters within the Church,” and “Parenting Gen Z: Guiding Your Child through a Hostile Culture.”
