God's Will?

If you ever needed an explanation of why, we as Christians need to study and work toward greater discipleship… this may be a good example.

A friend of mine was vacillating between Christian and Hindu beliefs, believing that both had good philosophies. She was sending me emails that seemed to be spiraling down into depression. This dear lady had discovered that her three year old niece had been molested by a family member. Knowing me to profess to being Christian, she sent me the following email:

At first I repressed my feelings about what happened to my three-year-old niece, but now it's hard to keep from crying. People say that everything that happens is "God's will," but how can He will things like this? Even harder to take, at this moment, is the Hindu point of view that everything is "God's play." So He even thinks such things are funny? Any words of wisdom, scriptural quotes, etc. will be appreciated.

I thought about how the mental and spiritual anguish over this horrible event was causing her physical and emotional pain. How hollow to respond with something like: “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” I could see how the whole thing had dragged her off to a dark and frightening depression, and I was immediately reminded of the people of Israel, taken captive and exiled into slavery. The following is my response to her questions:

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My friend,

I’m not sure how much wisdom I have to offer, but all of us should cry when a child is hurt!

I noticed that you correctly identified the fact that “people say that everything that happens is 'God's will'.” People say a lot of things to justify their actions, or to try to put the blame somewhere else… anywhere but their responsibility. God’s will for us is for us to live by His Laws, to walk in His ways, and by doing that… to prosper. When God created us, He did not create programmable automatons, but creatures with free will. From the beginning, people have been choosing to do things outside of God’s will (sin). Eve decided she knew better than God… and ate the apple. Cain decided to kill his brother. It was not God’s will for these things to happen, but God will always use whatever evil that people do to work as a catalyst for good. We are better than our circumstances when we walk with God.

“I can do all things in Christ, who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

The main thing is that people sometimes choose to do bad things! God does NOT command them to do bad things. God hates sin. Sin is the thing that distances us from God.

I can’t really comment on the Hindu perspective, except to say that Christian and Hindu beliefs in who, and what God is, are very different… and no matter what you may think… they are mutually exclusive. Trying to believe in everything is not only confusing, but according to my Christian beliefs… wrong. All belief systems are NOT valid, otherwise, we would have to accept a child molester’s or a murderer’s belief system as valid, too.  My God is not a capricious god. He is a God of love, mercy, grace, and plans for us to prosper. Consider:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

If you want to take the time to understand how you, your niece, and your sister are in a similar situation as the people of Israel who were dragged off to Babylon in exile, read how the prophet Jeremiah speaks powerfully about exiles in Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7:

"This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

My friend, I hope these words help you. I pray that God bless you with His Spirit… to comfort you, to guide you, to heal you, and to bring you the joy of walking every day in His presence.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag