Hey Church!

“No one is good except God alone” (Lk. 18:19). 

Most of us have no trouble believing the first part of that statement, that people are not inherently good. Granted, some do believe that humans are born in spotless innocence, and to them, I say: “Spend a day with a toddler.” 😂 To the rest of you, since I assume the majority will agree, it is the second part of that verse that we find most difficult to believe–that God is good.

It is the #1 question of Christian apologetics; before skeptics wonder about the age of the earth, the veracity of Scripture, or the triune nature of God, 99 out of 100 times they first want to know, “If God is good, then why does He allow suffering in this world?” Or, with a slightly different twist, some will conclude, “I cannot believe there is a God who would not intervene to stop evil, such as that of the Holocaust, and certainly not one that I could characterize as ‘good.’” 

Tim Keller once said that the Bible does not give us a reason for every circumstance but it does tell us what the reason for our affliction is not. If we believe that God came to earth in the person of Jesus and voluntarily suffered and died for our salvation, then the reason for His allowance of evil in the world cannot be cold indifference or malevolent intent. Furthermore, the fact that we cannot think of a good reason why God would not intervene and put an immediate end to our suffering does not mean that no good reason exists. There is no logical inconsistency between our suffering and a good, all-knowing God who loves us. We do not like it, and so we can make an argument from incredulity (another logical fallacy), but the fact of the matter remains that He is God and we are not. He has told us this truth in no uncertain terms: 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8-9)

At this point, I want to pause and affirm that the correct response to someone who is presently enduring great suffering is not to read them that Bible verse or tell them that they are not thinking logically about God and His goodness. The best thing you can do as a friend in that situation is to give them your silent presence. Be near to that person but speak only when spoken to, and even then let every word you say be soaked in empathy (“I love you and do not know why God allows you to suffer…”). The greatest harm can be inflicted by well-intentioned Christians who seem to have all the answers. Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice. 

With that being said, we can find comfort in the knowledge that–whatever His reasons may be–God loves you more than you can possibly imagine, as His cross has proven. With “God has loving intentions” as our starting place, then we can look at our circumstances (past and present) with renewed eyes of faith and give thanks for everything His hand provides, even the things we do not particularly like. As Pastor Tom often repeats, “You find what you’re looking for.” If you look for things to complain about, you will certainly find them! Fortunately, the opposite is also true: if you look for things to be grateful for, as from the hand of a loving heavenly Father, then you will certainly find much reason to give thanks. 

Practice that perspective of gratitude this weekend. Look for reasons to praise Him and give thanks for the ways He provides for you. Reframe your thinking from, “How could He possibly be good?” to “Look how good He has been to me!” To help inspire you in that challenge, listen to the new song we will sing this Sunday, “Sure Been Good” (lyrics and link below).