on grace.
Ken and I had a discussion the other day about the theology of evil, and how having a worked out understanding of it can aid in our comprehension of every day life events. Times of crisis, tragedy, or even times of joy can lead people to make many statements about God, his goodness, and his involvement in our lives.When things go good, God is often ‘blessing us’. Yet when things go bad, many develop frustrated feelings towards the Lord and ask the question ‘how could he let this happen?’. This kind of thinking seems to leave God with absolute control over the workings of the world, yet where do free will and sin come into play?
We also talked of the statement that life is not fair. And Ken was reminded of a statement he read (C.S. Lewis perhaps) that offered praise because of this very fact. Life is not fair. If life were fair, we would all be forced to pay the penalty for our own sins. Sin would corrupt every part of our lives, but yet it doesn’t, because life is not fair and God made a way out for us.
This conversation came up as Ken and I reflected on how sin permeates all areas of life – even down to genetics. He recently was tested for a gene that is known to cause an increase in colorectal/intestinal cancers that runs in his family. We both anticipated that he would indeed have the defective gene, as its prevalence in his family is quite high. We were delighted to find out, however, that he does not carry it – and so his cancer risk is that of the general population.
Health, beauty, life in the midst of sin and death – these are glimpses of God’s grace that remind us that life is not fair. If life were fair, we would not have such things. What does it do to change the starting point? Rather than see negative events as God’s wrath, lack of favor, or lack of involvement – what would happen if we instead rejoiced at every small beauty, each perfectly formed leaf, birds that fly, legs that walk, and voices that sing. These stand in the midst of a fallen world as testament to a gracious God.
Perhaps these thoughts don’t make sense to you. Or seem heretical. I’d welcome your thoughts, ponderings and insights. These are clearly just thoughts in the works. May you be encouraged to see God’s grace at work in your own life today.
posted by Sabrina @ 2:30 PM
5 Comments:
What an insightful post you have written. You have struck a chord in me and my own ponderings in my head. I must admit I have found myself asking God questions lately somewhere along the lines of, "why is this happening God?, It's just not fair. I have so much that I need to do". You are right. It is not fair and that is the way in which God planned it. You have reminded me to relish being present in the grace of God and to be thankful and aware of the many blessings He has poured over my life. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I treasure you greatly and I very much enjoy hearing your thoughts. Thank you for sharing.
Great post. Lauren and I have discussed lately the reality that we have the power to choose how we view the world around us, and the power to choose how we will react to certain situations. Your point about choosing to rejoice and see God's grace at work in the world is quite profound and so often very difficult to implement into our thinking. When we make that choice, God is truly worshipped.
Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving weekend.
Ian
[imclaren.wordpress.com]
Hey Guys,
For an interesting and modern reading on Theodicy (how can there be evil and suffering when a good God exists), I would recommend checking out David Bentley Hart's "Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami?" I think that a lot of what you are saying is somewhat getting at what Hart is addressing. While it is at times a little "heavier" of a read than others, it is so far (I'm in the process of reading it) a great book with a fairly untraditional (or maybe Hart would argue, truly traditional) approach to this tought question! Great thoughts!
Take Care,
Zac
Great thoughts. I love that you and Ken can discuss such things.
My devos yesterday were about practising the presence of God. Praying throughout our day and shouting praises to God and thus changing our views on life and the Character of God. It was a good reminder. Looking forward to seeing you on Monday.
Hi Sabrina! You must be getting VERY close to meeting your little one... I'd love to see some recent belly pictures :) Can't wait to hear the big news! Hope you and Ken are both doing well.
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