Re: Faith in God

"But I'm afraid that the mention of suicide is almost always a discussion stopper due to not being certain how deep one can go into such a discussion."


I'm sorry if that bothered anyone. I was just being honest. There are many people out there that have suffered horrendously but are constantly told that it's their lack of faith or sin when neither of these things are true and many of those people have committed suicide. That's just one of the serious consequences that have come from that seriously awful doctrine. And I know that could have been me if I believed that way.

It wasn't Job's lack of faith or sin that he suffered so much. God had a purpose in Job's suffering that had nothing to do with those two things. God asked Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8) But we see that Job's faith did grow through all that suffering and he saw ways he was in the wrong. "5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6therefore I despise myself,and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42)
But if we can say Job went through all that because of his sin and lack of faith, then why didn't all the other people in Job's time go through worse things? God said Job was one of a kind, above all the others in his goodness. And how many people do we know that could go through what Job went through and still say this, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Job needed friends that didn't believe that awful doctrine that so many believe today. They made him even more miserable by blaming him, accusing him, showing no real compassion, which is what he really needed. Job talked about wanting to die and how he wished he had never been born. And his friends were not helping in the least. Maybe if he had had people there to encourage him and speak truth to him, he wouldn't have wanted to die so much.

And I'm in no way saying I'm a Job or that many christians that are suffering out there are blameless like Job was. I certainly have lacked faith at times in my life. I've been a huge sinner. Those two things have no doubt contributed to my suffering. And I'm sure those two things have contributed to the suffering of many people. But we can learn from the Job story, that there is not a formula for suffering. God does what he pleases and his ways are not our ways. And even if it is a lack of faith or sin as to why someone is suffering, does it help to keep pointing that in their face? No! They already know those things probably. And if they don't, let God be the one to convict them, unless it's some blatant sin they are involved with and you feel lead to talk to them about it in love (the bible says it must be done in love). But often Christians go through horrendous suffering and it's not lack of faith or sin. God just has a purpose for it like he did with Job. And for those people especially, it's completely awful to play the role of Job's friends and accuse them and offer no real compassion as they are holding onto dear life to trust God and make it through another day. They need the truth! They need to hear about God's love for them and be encouraged! They need to hear about the fact that Jesus told us we would suffer and so not to think there is something horribly wrong with them and they have gone out of the will of God. They need to hear God is still with them, every second of their suffering and will never leave them!

Anyway, I guess I'm done with my rant on that. Like you said, there is a lot to discuss with a lot of this. But I will be real honest and say I lack patience with some of this false teaching (no surprise though, right! :))and I need God's help to have more patience with it all.