IS GOD UNCARING AND HARDHEARTED?

Many people think that the answer to that question is yes. 'If God cared,' they reason, 'would not the world be a very different place?'  We look around and see a world full of war, hatred, and misery. And as individuals, we get sick,  we suffer, we lose loved ones in death.   Thus, many say, 'If God cared about us and our problems, would he not prevent such things from happening?'

Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted.  How so?  When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God's will.  In effect such teachers blame God for bad things that happen.  is that the truth about God? What does the Bible really teach?  James 1:13 answers:  "When under trial, let no one say: 'I am being tried by God.'  For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone." So God is never  the source of the wickedness you see in the world around you. (Job 34:10-12) Granted, he does allow bad things to happen.  But there is a big difference between allowing something to happen and causing it.

For example, think about a wise and loving father with a grown son who is still living at home with his parents. When the son becomes rebellious and decides to leave home, his father does not stop him. The son pursues a bad way of life and gets into trouble. Is the father  the cause  of his son's problems?  No.  (Luke 15:11-13)  Similarly, God has not stopped humans when they have chosen to pursue a bad course, but he is not the cause of the problems that have resulted.  Surely, then, it would be unfair to blame God for all the troubles of mankind.  ( It is also not fair for people to blame others for their own actions/behavior, that is on them. That is a bad habit that a lot of people get into. If you know right from wrong, then you know better and you need to own up to your own actions)

God has good reasons for allowing mankind to follow a bad course. As our wise and powerful Creator, he does not have to explain his  reasons to us.  Out of love, however, God does this.  You will learn  more about these  reasons in Chapter 11.  But rest assured that God is not responsible for the problems we face.  (Satan is responsible for a lot of it)  On the contrary, he gives us the only hope for a solution! -Isaiah 33:2.

Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean.  There is no trace of badness in him.  So we can trust him completely.  That is more  than we can say for humans, (who are imperfect and sinners) who  sometimes become corrupt.  (especially the government) Even the most hones human in authority often does not have the power to undo the damage  that bad people do.  (the government cannot, because they are more corrupt)  But God is all-powerful. He can and will undo all the effects that  wickedness has had on  mankind.   When God acts, he will do so in way that will end evil forever! -Psalm 37:9-11. The sooner the better for me. 

Next time: HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT INJUSTICES WE FACE?

From: What Does the Bible Really Teach?  2005 and 2006