Probably the biggest question for all people, whether they believe in God or not, is why is there so much suffering in this world? This is a question that probably won't ever be answered until we meet God in person. Many people have opinions, and I'd like to give mine here.
I believe I'm like most people. I want to be comfortable, happy and safe. I want to have enough money to pay my bills, to help my kids with college, and to go on a vacation once in a while. I want to be healthy. What's wrong with that? Why wouldn't God want the same things for me? Well, I believe it's because He want much, much more for me!
Dr. Larry Crabb is a best-selling author, counselor and psychologist. He's written many popular books including "Inside Out", "Finding God", and "The Marriage Builder". I've read some of his books and liked them, though the ones I read were really deep and kind of hard to digest.
I read a book by Larry Crabb recently that was quite different from the other's that I've read by him before. This book was called "Shattered Dreams - God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy", and I think it was different because it was something that Dr. Crabb had personally experienced and very intimately touched him. The book was much easier to follow, in my opinion, than the others I had read by him.
The premise of this book is that joy and happiness are two distinctly different things. Most of us believe that the most important thing that we can have is happiness. Plenty of money, a loving spouse and obedient kids, good health, a good job, a nice house, etc. The list could be quite long. But my belief is that this isn't necessarily what God wants for us.
The Bible says that God wants to give good things to his children, even more than we want to give good things to our children. So God obviously wants us to be happy, right? That could be true, and while He does want those things for us, if they get in the way of having relationship with Him then He'll take the relationship every time. That's where we will find true joy.
Sometimes God will let us experience pain and suffering so that we don't become too satisfied with our current lifestyle. He also realizes that we can get very busy trying to maintain that "happy" lifestyle, and that will also limit the joy we will find by having relationship with Him. What happens when we experience this pain? Most of us will do whatever we can to get rid of it.
"Shattered Dreams" encourages us to allow ourselves to feel that pain, to mourn, and to grieve. It is in the midst of these trials, and on the other side of them, that we encounter God, and only then are we able to experience the true joy that He desires. It is not comfortable or fun, but it is ultimately the only true path to joy, and in my opinion, the reason that bad things happen to good people, and why God allows suffering. - 20763
I believe I'm like most people. I want to be comfortable, happy and safe. I want to have enough money to pay my bills, to help my kids with college, and to go on a vacation once in a while. I want to be healthy. What's wrong with that? Why wouldn't God want the same things for me? Well, I believe it's because He want much, much more for me!
Dr. Larry Crabb is a best-selling author, counselor and psychologist. He's written many popular books including "Inside Out", "Finding God", and "The Marriage Builder". I've read some of his books and liked them, though the ones I read were really deep and kind of hard to digest.
I read a book by Larry Crabb recently that was quite different from the other's that I've read by him before. This book was called "Shattered Dreams - God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy", and I think it was different because it was something that Dr. Crabb had personally experienced and very intimately touched him. The book was much easier to follow, in my opinion, than the others I had read by him.
The premise of this book is that joy and happiness are two distinctly different things. Most of us believe that the most important thing that we can have is happiness. Plenty of money, a loving spouse and obedient kids, good health, a good job, a nice house, etc. The list could be quite long. But my belief is that this isn't necessarily what God wants for us.
The Bible says that God wants to give good things to his children, even more than we want to give good things to our children. So God obviously wants us to be happy, right? That could be true, and while He does want those things for us, if they get in the way of having relationship with Him then He'll take the relationship every time. That's where we will find true joy.
Sometimes God will let us experience pain and suffering so that we don't become too satisfied with our current lifestyle. He also realizes that we can get very busy trying to maintain that "happy" lifestyle, and that will also limit the joy we will find by having relationship with Him. What happens when we experience this pain? Most of us will do whatever we can to get rid of it.
"Shattered Dreams" encourages us to allow ourselves to feel that pain, to mourn, and to grieve. It is in the midst of these trials, and on the other side of them, that we encounter God, and only then are we able to experience the true joy that He desires. It is not comfortable or fun, but it is ultimately the only true path to joy, and in my opinion, the reason that bad things happen to good people, and why God allows suffering. - 20763
About the Author:
Matt Hellstrom is a husband and father of five beautiful adopted kids. Here are some tips for effective parenting skills that Matt and Julie have learned in the last 15 years. You can learn his feelings about why bad things happen to good people.
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