Post by Niemmy on May 23, 2005 2:34:06 GMT -5
“God is up in heaven where everything is pleasant, while we are down here suffering.”—Mary.*
TODAY'S young people have been born into a cruel world. Tragic earthquakes and natural disasters that snuff out the lives of thousands seem to be commonplace. Wars and terrorist attacks dominate the news. Sickness, disease, crime, and accidents rob us of loved ones. For Mary, quoted above, evil hit close to home. Her bitter words were uttered after the death of her father.
When tragedy touches us personally, it is only human to feel frustration, loss, or even anger. 'Why did this have to happen?' you may wonder. 'Why me?' or 'Why now?' Such questions deserve satisfying answers. But to get the right answers, we must go to the right source. Granted, as a youth named Turrell observed, sometimes people are "hurting too much to think things through." So you may need to find a way to calm your emotions a bit so that you can think—logically and rationally.
Facing Unpleasant Realities
It may be unpleasant to contemplate, but death and suffering are facts of life. Job put it well when he said: "Man, born of woman, is short-lived and glutted with agitation."—Job 14:1.
The Bible promises a new world in which "righteousness is to dwell." (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4) Before those ideal conditions are realized, however, mankind must go through a time of unprecedented wickedness. "Know this," says the Bible, "in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here."—2 Timothy 3:1.
How long will these difficult times last? Jesus' disciples asked more or less the same question. But Jesus did not give them a specific day or hour when this misery-stricken system of things would end. Instead, Jesus said: "He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved." (Matthew 24:3, 13) Jesus' words encourage us to take a long-range view. We must be prepared to endure many unpleasant situations before the end finally comes.
Is God to Blame?
Does it makes sense, then, to be angry with God because he permits suffering? Not when you consider that God has promised to end all suffering. Nor does it make sense to feel that God causes bad things to happen. Many tragic happenings are simply the result of random events. Imagine, for example, that the wind blows a tree down and it injures someone. People may call this an act of God. But God did not make that tree fall down. The Bible helps us to appreciate that such things are simply the sad result of "time and unforeseen occurrence."—Ecclesiastes 9:11.
Suffering may also stem from poor judgment. Suppose a group of youths indulge in alcoholic beverages and then go for a drive. A serious accident results. Who is to blame? God? No, they have reaped the consequences of their poor judgment.—Galatians 6:7.
'But isn't God powerful enough to end suffering now?' you may ask. Some faithful men in Bible times wondered about that. The prophet Habakkuk asked God: "Why is it that you look on those dealing treacherously, that you keep silent when someone wicked swallows up someone more righteous than he is?" However, Habakkuk did not jump to hasty conclusions. He said: "I shall keep watch, to see what he will speak by me." Later, God assured him that at an "appointed time," He would end suffering. (Habakkuk 1:13; 2:1-3) We must therefore be patient, waiting for God to end wickedness at his appointed time.
TODAY'S young people have been born into a cruel world. Tragic earthquakes and natural disasters that snuff out the lives of thousands seem to be commonplace. Wars and terrorist attacks dominate the news. Sickness, disease, crime, and accidents rob us of loved ones. For Mary, quoted above, evil hit close to home. Her bitter words were uttered after the death of her father.
When tragedy touches us personally, it is only human to feel frustration, loss, or even anger. 'Why did this have to happen?' you may wonder. 'Why me?' or 'Why now?' Such questions deserve satisfying answers. But to get the right answers, we must go to the right source. Granted, as a youth named Turrell observed, sometimes people are "hurting too much to think things through." So you may need to find a way to calm your emotions a bit so that you can think—logically and rationally.
Facing Unpleasant Realities
It may be unpleasant to contemplate, but death and suffering are facts of life. Job put it well when he said: "Man, born of woman, is short-lived and glutted with agitation."—Job 14:1.
The Bible promises a new world in which "righteousness is to dwell." (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4) Before those ideal conditions are realized, however, mankind must go through a time of unprecedented wickedness. "Know this," says the Bible, "in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here."—2 Timothy 3:1.
How long will these difficult times last? Jesus' disciples asked more or less the same question. But Jesus did not give them a specific day or hour when this misery-stricken system of things would end. Instead, Jesus said: "He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved." (Matthew 24:3, 13) Jesus' words encourage us to take a long-range view. We must be prepared to endure many unpleasant situations before the end finally comes.
Is God to Blame?
Does it makes sense, then, to be angry with God because he permits suffering? Not when you consider that God has promised to end all suffering. Nor does it make sense to feel that God causes bad things to happen. Many tragic happenings are simply the result of random events. Imagine, for example, that the wind blows a tree down and it injures someone. People may call this an act of God. But God did not make that tree fall down. The Bible helps us to appreciate that such things are simply the sad result of "time and unforeseen occurrence."—Ecclesiastes 9:11.
Suffering may also stem from poor judgment. Suppose a group of youths indulge in alcoholic beverages and then go for a drive. A serious accident results. Who is to blame? God? No, they have reaped the consequences of their poor judgment.—Galatians 6:7.
'But isn't God powerful enough to end suffering now?' you may ask. Some faithful men in Bible times wondered about that. The prophet Habakkuk asked God: "Why is it that you look on those dealing treacherously, that you keep silent when someone wicked swallows up someone more righteous than he is?" However, Habakkuk did not jump to hasty conclusions. He said: "I shall keep watch, to see what he will speak by me." Later, God assured him that at an "appointed time," He would end suffering. (Habakkuk 1:13; 2:1-3) We must therefore be patient, waiting for God to end wickedness at his appointed time.
