My God is not cruel
My God is not cruel in any way. In fact, the Creator has made things pretty simple and quite straightforward for us all. God has generously given us free will to choose our own destinies. We can choose between God’s purpose and path or decide to go on our own separate journey. Throughout our lives, we all end up choosing our own paths once, twice, or even many times as we navigate through different circumstances and experiences. However, that’s often when we really mess things up. I am not saying that choosing God’s path comes with 100% peace and absolutely no pain or difficulty, but rest assured that God will see you through every trial, and you’ll be richly rewarded when you eventually meet God in Heaven. On the other hand, choosing our own path inevitably comes with A LOT more challenges and risks. First and foremost, we risk our place in Heaven. Secondly, God is not going to support you or guide you if you choose the wrong path. Adultery, bad behavior towards yourself or others, crimes against one another, acts of dishonesty, and a total disregard for God’s word will not be supported in any way. Nevertheless, God still loves you fiercely, and in fact, it pains God greatly to witness you walking away from Him. Despite this, God has given us the freedom to choose, knowing full well the consequences that may arise. God never leaves you, but if you choose to put God on the sidelines, that’s where God will patiently be waiting for you to call for help when you find yourself in need.
I am just a pea-brained human, so I cannot possibly tell you what God feels or why exactly God does or does not do something. I can only relate it to my own experiences and my heart, which is such a tiny, microscopic dot when compared to the vastness of God's thought process. I find myself drawing parallels to my own journey as a parent. As parents, we give our children choices—decisions that lead to rewards if they make the right ones, and, in contrast, discipline if they choose otherwise. Then there are those times when we must stand back and watch as they make choices that lead to discomfort or hardship. However, just like God, when our children call out to us—because they are hurting, feeling stressed, in need of help, or grappling with regrets—we step in, lend a hand, and do our best to make things better for them.
I’ve certainly heard people say, and I have even repeated some of these sentiments myself on various occasions. “I deserve to be happy.” “This is so incredible; God must have sent me this to me.” “It’s a sign from God.” However, all of these statements are ultimately misleading and false. We don’t actually deserve to be happy as a right. Moments of genuine happiness are more of a privilege rather than an entitlement that we automatically receive. God doesn’t give signs in the way we might hope, nor does God send us things like packages from a convenience store. Instead, God has a distinct purpose for each of us. God made you for something incredibly specific and meaningful. When we allow our temptations to take over, focusing excessively on earthly matters and drifting away from God's word, we can become estranged from our true purpose. This creates vulnerabilities where the devil can work in our lives. That’s when the unfortunate and troubling things tend to happen. It's important to remember that God doesn’t do bad things; rather, it is people who do bad things to one another. In His wisdom, God granted us free will to choose between good or evil, leaving the choice ultimately in our hands.
As hard as God is tirelessly working in us, the devil is sneaking around trying to work in us too, whispering doubts and distractions. I know I may be coming off as a little “preachy” or even “bible thumping” to some people. I suppose if the shoe fits, then I can take that! However you choose to interpret my motives, I assure you that my heart is truly in the right place. I am not a preacher or a teacher by any means; I am just a sinning, God-fearing woman, just like the next one who is journeying through this life with faith and a whole lot of love.
What’s my purpose for writing this, you might wonder? Well, to be perfectly honest, I don’t feel like I really have one right now. I write about what I am genuinely feeling in the deepest parts of my heart. Over the past couple of years, I’ve navigated some truly rough patches, and the common thread weaving through all of it is that I was trying to do everything on my own without reaching out for guidance from God. However, I have come to realize that I am now actively seeking God’s guidance once again, and for the first time in what feels like many, many months, I can actually feel a sense of peace settling over me. This peace does not come because everything in my life is now perfect, but rather because I feel that God is right next to me, supporting me and holding me up through these tough times. So, I suppose my purpose in writing this is to share my thoughts and experiences with you, in the hopes that it might offer you some comfort or inspiration as well.
CL
