Today I was teaching in our college aged young adults class, Encounters. I have been teaching this summer in that class using Rob Bell’s Nooma video series. Today we are on video #6, Kickball. (Click here to watch a brief clip from the video) In this video we came across several deep theological questions. At least I felt like we did. One question we came across was, is God a good God? At God’s very core, is He good? We also touched on the idea of total depravity, meaning that you and I don’t do any good, anything that we do that is good is from God.
Well, I was particularly struck with the whole question of is God a good God? Now, let me clarify and say absolutely I believe that God, the God of Israel, the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob, the God who created the universe and the contents within is absolutely a good God. Here’s the dilemma: I don’t always think that everything He chooses to do is good. Maybe it would be better to say that I don’t always like what God chooses to do. I’ll even take it a step further and admit that sometimes it makes me angry.
Does this make God inherently good or bad??? I mean, because we don’t like what God chooses to do, does that make God a bad/angry/evil/unjust God? These and others are the types of questions that people outside of the church ask. How do we respond to those types of questions?
I absolutely hate the fact that my Dad has a form of Alzheimer’s. That drives me crazy, and disturbs me to no end. I can’t see what God is doing through this. I don’t have the answers.
However, I also can’t say that God is an evil God because He didn’t run His agenda by me before He set things into motion. Jeremiah 29:11-14 has always been a verse that I have turned to when things get crazy. Today was the first time that I have read the Message Paraphrase version of it. It goes like this:
“I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out- plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for Me, you’ll find Me. Yes, when you get serious about finding Me, and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”
God knows what He is doing. Yes God doesn’t always give us the things that we want. In fact I am glad that God doesn’t do that. I can remember a time when I was little asking my parents for a toy at Andy’s store at the north end of LBI. My dad told me no that I couldn’t get it. I was really upset by that. I was annoyed, and maybe even a little angry. Now what I wanted was some cheap plastic toy gun that shot suction cup darts. It is the kind of toy that any self respecting adult knows is going to break in about 5 minutes. So, the obvious answer would be to say “No, do yourself a favor and save your money.” But I couldn’t wrap my mind around it as a kid. I also didn’t believe that it was going to break.
So, here’s the deal, I am sure that it is like that sometimes with God. I can’t understand God’s mind. Just in the same way that as a little kid I couldn’t understand my dad saying no to the toy gun.
I am so glad that God doesn’t give me what I deserve. I am so glad that God gives me good gifts. (James 1:17, Luke 11:11-13)
What do you think? Continue the conversation…
~Peter
