Turning away from God?
- Jacob Ninan
A young woman was 'in a relationship' with a man, and it broke off. Now she is upset with God, asking Him why He did this to her. How can we blame God for everything that happens to us, as if He is the one who makes them happen to us? Don't we have any responsibility towards the choices we make and how we respond to people and situations? But God seems to be an easy target to attack.
Somebody prayed earnestly for something and when it didn't happen he turned away from 'a God who didn't bother' about him. A young man thought that he would enjoy life and later on, when he was old and about to die, make time for God. When problems came up in his life and he tried to pray he found God very distant from him (actually he was so far away from God that he didn't know where to find God). He blamed God for not being true to His promises. Another man blamed God for the family he was born into. He didn't want this God who made him go through 'hell' and ruined his life. Many people have turned away from God saying that a God who allowed so much of evil and injustice in this world wasn't really powerful or loving.
Such people (and some of us can understand them from our own experiences) have not understood God. When we get to know Him personally we find that He is the most adorable and praiseworthy Person we can ever know. Everything about Him is right, good and perfect. There are many questions we may have in our mind because we are limited people trying to understand an infinite God, but the more we get to know Him, the more lovable we find Him.
In the process of staying away from God because of misunderstanding, we are also keeping ourselves aloof from the One who can really help us. God wants to be with us as we go through the challenges of this life (Ps.46:1), and He wants to give us grace and wisdom to help us to get through those situations successfully (He.4:15,16). But what many people do is that, instead of seeking God and coming closer to Him through all those problems, they turn to their own limited knowledge and abilities or to other people for help. Then they sit around and complain about God.
We need God (1Co.8:6). We also need a Saviour who can deliver us from our sinful ways (Mt.1:21). We need wisdom to deal with people and situations in a godly way that goes beyond human understanding or powers (Ja.1:5). The fact is that God has made Himself available to us, and His Son Jesus has come down to our level in order to save us. If we understand the greatness, the goodness, the wisdom and the love of God, we will run to Him in humility, and open up ourselves to God in honesty (He.2:18). In His holy presence we will see our sinfulness and we will ask for forgiveness and deliverance. Then we will see that He becomes everything for us. How really foolish to think we are wiser than God and turn away from Him! How silly to ignore the only one who can truly help us and turn to weak and mistaken sources of help (Je.2:13)!