What to Do When God Seems to Be Part of The Problem?

[other one]

Maybe the reason is the same as I got when I badgered God about why he would not heal my wife.......

 

Said and I quote, "Sam........   it's really none of your business.   That's between her and myself."   I got the distinct feeling that I should butt out.    I can assure you that was the last thing in the world I would have imagined to hear so I can say pretty surely that I didn't dream it.    And the voice was so kind and loving....  I was so upset that I was truly expecting lightening bolts.....

 

go figure.

[other one]

Oh, and by the way.....  I haven't asked again....

[Guest]

Oh, and by the way.....  I haven't asked again....

 

I wouldn't imagine I would ask again either.

 

The only answers I've ever gotten from questions like that though . . . have always been stone silence.

[Guest trueTHAT]

not caring would be a way, not orthodox but an alterative to cope out till the rules r made plain and sure...

 

just a thought

[Marilyn C]

I appreciate what you say other one. I have had chronic fatigue for 30 years & it has been quite difficult for myself & my husband. For years I had no strength & often had to crawl to go to the bathroom. I cried out to God. Yet through it all I have learned to let go of so much & have come to know our Lord more deeply.

 

As regards the person`s difficulties. All I can say is that the Lord`s purpose is to make us like Christ.. And we know that means dying to self - what a long process that is. I think so much damage has been done by wrong teaching, where people are told that God wants to do` this & that` & only the best (read - material things).

 

Imagine if Stephen of the early believers went to a conference & heard that then the very next day, rocks & stones. He would have thought, `What is happening, God,` whereas he looked toward heaven & saw the Lord waiting for him & then he entered heaven. 

Edited August 23, 2014 by Marilyn C

[disciplehelovestoo]

Someone hit me with the title line after a meeting and I thought I'd ask it here.

 

Specifically, there are some un-met needs in your life that are Scriptural, not selfish, etc. and no matter what you do to correct these things you keep slamming into brick walls and closed doors. (Examples: trying not to loose your house, car, etc. by increasing your income or selling stuff off, etc. ) This does not go on one for a week, or a month or two, either. It goes on for years. It goes on so long it starts to seem like you're fighting God and getting nowhere. While other believers around you are allowed to have savings, pay their mortgage, taking care of your family's needs, and all the other things we're supposed to do while being good citizens. (This person was suicidal -- and yes! we got him some help.)

 

His questions still stands, though. What do you do when you try your best to do the right things according to scripture and just keep slamming into the brick walls and closed doors?

 

your last question reveals part of the answer to your last question.  the Christian life is not a changed life where God picks you up, dusts you off, points you in the right direction, and tells you to 'see if you can get it right this time'; the Christian life is an exchanged life where we seek to die to self and let God live through us.  what this means in practice is that you strive to stop making your own decisions and asking God to bless them, and start seeking and following His leading in every situation as much as you can - this will keep you in fellowship with Him all day long - and fellowship with God is the root of all blessings.

 

the purpose of the laws of God are two fold: to drive us to despair of keeping them so that we no longer think we can earn His favor through our performance, and to use to recognize/confirm His situational leading.  the laws of God were not given so that we could keep them by our own understanding and strength.  if you offend in one point of the law, you are guilty of all according to scripture; no one but Jesus can keep the whole law, because He was 'God with us'.

 

now if you are seeking to be led by God, you will experience persecution.  satan will pull out all the stops to defeat you, and he works through other people, just like God does.  however, over time, if you are led by God you will increase in all good ways, including prosperity and health.  your neighbor that professes to be a Christian and seems to glide through life is either someone who is led by God and has therefore, over time, intersected with the blessings God would lead us all to receive; or someone who is deceived and is destroying their own spiritual life through dead works and adherence to the traditions of men; satan will back off when someone is doing an effective job of destroying themselves (spiritually speaking), and this may make people appear to be outwardly prosperous while inside they are already dead.  

 

to answer your first question, when God seems to be part of the problem, repent of this kind of thinking - always stay on God's side

[Guest]

 

 

your last question reveals part of the answer to your last question.  the Christian life is not a changed life where God picks you up, dusts you off, points you in the right direction, and tells you to 'see if you can get it right this time'; the Christian life is an exchanged life where we seek to die to self and let God live through us.  what this means in practice is that you strive to stop making your own decisions and asking God to bless them, and start seeking and following His leading in every situation as much as you can - this will keep you in fellowship with Him all day long - and fellowship with God is the root of all blessings.

 

the purpose of the laws of God are two fold: to drive us to despair of keeping them so that we no longer think we can earn His favor through our performance, and to use to recognize/confirm His situational leading.  the laws of God were not given so that we could keep them by our own understanding and strength.  if you offend in one point of the law, you are guilty of all according to scripture; no one but Jesus can keep the whole law, because He was 'God with us'.

 

now if you are seeking to be led by God, you will experience persecution.  satan will pull out all the stops to defeat you, and he works through other people, just like God does.  however, over time, if you are led by God you will increase in all good ways, including prosperity and health.  your neighbor that professes to be a Christian and seems to glide through life is either someone who is led by God and has therefore, over time, intersected with the blessings God would lead us all to receive; or someone who is deceived and is destroying their own spiritual life through dead works and adherence to the traditions of men; satan will back off when someone is doing an effective job of destroying themselves (spiritually speaking), and this may make people appear to be outwardly prosperous while inside they are already dead.  

 

to answer your first question, when God seems to be part of the problem, repent of this kind of thinking - always stay on God's side

 

 

Just out of curiosity, did you happen to read Post #7? I clarified that the folks in question were believers and had been trying to do the right things all along . . . they didn't buy a huge house they couldn't afford, etc. They have been good stewards all along (only God knows our hearts though) trying to live like the Bible says. Certainly only God knows the answers to what is really going on, just like in Job.

[Greg Bradley]

Hello Walla,

 

You've brought up a worthwhile question, for sure.  I'm sure that every Christian, sooner or later, will be faced with a situation where it appears the Lord has slammed a door in their face.  I've gone through quite a few situations where the door was slammed in my face and it's amazing that my nose isn't as flat as a pancake.  When it happens, of course, one's mind searches for all the possible reasons why God might do such a thing.  In every case of mine, the Lord had something to teach me on a personal level.  Many of those doors were slammed so hard, I became destitute, homeless, penniless, without friends, etc.  It was God's way of getting my attention and humbling me and softening my heart for what He wanted to show me about MYSELF.  Ouch!!!  I always thought that I was doing the right thing, that I had the right attitude, that there was no good reason why God should humble me in such a dramatic fashion, but looking back I can see why and how His intervention was perfectly orchestrated and perfectly timed.  I had internal issues, things like a deep core depression that I wasn't even aware of, like the fact that my natural compassion for others had been destroyed when I was a child, like I had a hidden hatred for someone that I was transferring toward God (not hating God, but resisting Him big time), etc.  God had lessons to teach me that by only experiencing the hardships that I went through, could I truly understand the light that He was bringing to me, to set me free.  Through it all, I have learned that God is more concerned with our inner self and our relationship with Him than our outward activities.  He is grooming us to be the Loving creations that He has purposed from before this universe was created.  What's a slammed door in your face when compared to the blessings of greater intimacy with God that results from lessons that might require some hardship?  No comparison!   After each lesson was learned, God was faithful to pull me out of any pits that I was in.   I think when Christians start focusing on the things in their lives, be it houses, jobs, relationships, and even ministries, thinking that those things are so important, their attention gets devoted more toward things than God.  Believers can do all kinds of things for God thinking of themselves as righteous, but God desires intimacy with us first and foremost.  If something happens where it seems that God is shutting doors in your life, and God isn't telling you why, isn't that a sign that your relationship with God needs more intimacy to be able to hear clearly from Him?  Hmmmm!  Is this a 'duh' moment?   My parting advice:  If a door hits you in the face, humble yourself before the whole house falls down on you.

[Willa]

I honostly don't know the answer to this. The ways of the God Who created the universe are not my ways, and I don't understand why stuff happens. The one thing I know is that God loves me and Jesus died for me. Nothing will ever seperate me from His love. And He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Sometimes He has allowed my worst fears to come upon me so that He can walk with me through them and show me that He can make all things bearable through His strength. When the enemy could no longer terrify me, those problems left and other attacks began but now on my health. When you have your health you have everything? Nope! When you have close communion with God you have everything.

[FreeinChrist]

6)  In which we greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7)  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though tried with fire, might be found to praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

I Peter 1:6-7

We all must go though trials of our faith, but we take many different paths, in these trials.  But is it always with our faith being tried by fire, which means it will be difficult and very painful, but just as precious metals, are purified by fire, so is our faith.  God is sometimes allowing the pain in our lives not to harm us, but to help us grow in faith.

 

I think your friend has done everything right, but he has been given an honor that none of us, truly want.  That is to suffer for Christ Jesus.

12)  Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you:

I Peter 4:12

Modern Christians like the name it claim it message, but this is not the Gospel message II Timothy 3:10-12, take a look at what Jesus calls Blessings in  Matthew 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-26, for sure none of the things that Jesus called Blessing does my old nature consider such, and to be honest with you my new nature has a bit of a problem with it too. 

 

For sure God is never against us, but when He allows our faith to go though the fiery trial(s), it sure seems like He is part of the problem.  Walla I really don't think your friend has done anything wrong, but his faith is going thru the fire, Romans 5:1-5.   And I have yet to learn how to myself, but as soon as we can count it all joy, it will go better for each and everyone of us, James 1:2-4

 

I know this won't help your friend much now, but I really think he is having his faith tried by some real hot fire, but you and his other friends continue to help him as much as possible with his burdens, Galatians 6:2; especially in prayer.  For when others go though these trials the best we can do is prayer for them.