To begin to understand the complexity of life, you have to go back to the beginning…even before Adam and Eve were created. God gave His angels freedom of will…which meant they had the choice to follow His righteous purposes or to rebel against Him (Is. 14:12-15; Rev. 12:7-9). “Why did He do that,” you might ask? It’s because God doesn’t pre-program His moral creatures to love and obey Him. It’s in our freedom of choice that love and devotion are proven. If you read the story of Adam and Eve, you’ll discover why God created them. He gave them His character and commissioned them to represent His righteous rule on earth (Gen. 1:27-28). God allowed Satan (the serpent) to enter the garden to give Adam and Eve their opportunity to be who He created them to be…righteous co-rulers of the earth with God. But, you know what happened…don’t you (Gen. 3:1-19)? And THAT is why bad things happen to us. Therefore:
1. Blaming God is like shooting holes in the bottom of your boat! He’s the only One who can turn evil into good, create hope and help you navigate out of your tragedy.
2. God isn’t your problem. We live in a sinful world. Satan’s insurrection and Adam’s wrong choice produced a world of chaos, corruption, pain, hardships, diseases and premature death. God didn’t cause this to happen. Adam and Eve were fully equipped to resist evil.
3. Natural laws and human limitations are real. Gravity, inertia and accidents can cause severe injuries or death. In addition, we all face emotional stress and pressures of life. Sometimes they’re more than we can bear.
4. Wrong choices cause problems. Bad decisions, ignoring warnings, not listening to good counsel, wrong relationships, and selfish desires can lead to a lifetime of sorrow. God can’t be blamed for our personal decisions.
“But,” you may say, “That doesn’t make me feel much better. I’m still hurting from my problems!” Here’s the Good News…God Reverses Evil! His Son paid the price for your sin, defeated the Devil and gave you His victory (Rev. 12:7-11)! He can help you turn evil into good. Here’s how you do it:
1. Learn from your mistakes (Ps. 119:67, 71).
2. Comfort others who are hurting…just like you are (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
3. Allow God to strengthen your character…even in the midst of suffering (Rom. 5:3-5).
4. Know that God rewards people who suffer unjustly (1 Pet. 2:18-23).
So, how can you navigate your life out of a tragedy? Simple answer: Don’t blame God…Trust Him and draw near to Him! Yes, God really does love you and He didn’t cause your misfortune. If you invite Him to walk with you, comfort you, heal you, transform you, and use you to help others…your tragedy can be turned into your triumph. (Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 2:14-16).
Copyright © 2010 Destiny Navigators, LLC
