There is a twenty year old guy living in Georgia who is very angry with God. So angry that he left a Christian college, got his girlfriend pregnant, and now claims to be an atheist trying to destroy any sign of God's presence from the world. What could drive this true story? Death. His best friend (whom along with him was looking forward to entering some type of ministry) was killed in a car wreck. I never met the young man but I do know the girl and the baby. I have seen the hatred that builds up against God and the anger that burns from it.
There are a lot of people who struggle because they or someone they care for have been "abandoned" by God. Trusting in God can be a difficult feeling when we are watching someone fall apart, and especially when we thought God loved them or us enough to have stop it. This is what Paul was trying to prevent with the Thessalonians (I Thessalonians 3:1-5). Paul was going through a very difficult time in his ministry and faced many trials that could have been seen by some as God's abandonment.
I would be manipulating people if I always painted a rosy picture of living a Christian lifestyle. Stronger commitment and faith are always God's desire for our lives but that comes at a cost sometimes. Jesus said we should count those costs because, if we are not willing to pay them, then we also can become bitter and angry with God. When Paul was sent to Rome to face punishment before Caesar, his voyage faced peril. But if he had not been there, many would have perished as the boat sank. Our hard times often lead to greater reward but we may not always see the results.
How are you prepared for the good times and the bad? When does God matter the most in either of those situations?
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