Q: What do you mean when you say that God wants to bless us in a new way?
A: There is never a moment in all of our lives, from the day we trusted Christ till the day we see Him, when God is not longing to bless us. God is not wanting to bless us after our troubles end, He is blessing us right now, in and through those troubles. The blessing is knowing Him, not necessarily having life turn out as we want.
Q: What does Jesus teach us about suffering?A: 1) That life includes suffering, but life is good. 2)The cause of all suffering is separation from God- and from our own deepest desire, our longing for God. 3) The way to handle suffering is to discover your desire for God. 4)The new life provided through Jesus must be accepted as a gift of love.
Q: What does in mean to hope in God as we continue to live in a world where good dreams shatter and God seems to do nothing about it?
A: The answer requires that we change how we look at life. It demands a revolution in our understanding of why we’re alive at all. Many sincere Christian assume that we’re here to experience something God has never promised–a good time or at least good feelings. But when we uncover the deepest motives that drive our actions, we discover a determination to feel now what no one will feel until heaven. Sometimes all that separates Christians from non-Christians is our understanding of how to produce those good feelings. The pursuit of soul-pleasure remains primary and continues to be our aim behind our choices rather than the by- product of a higher aim: the aid of glorifying God as the object of our deepest, most passionate desire. It’s a tragedy when Christian people make it though life without ever discovering that their happiness is no different from the happiness of circumstantially well-off pagans. I fear that millions of Christians have never made that discovery and therefore blissfully continue to drink watery grape juice when fine wine is available.
Q: How do you liken brokeness and shattered dreams to being like a little child?
A: Nobody is more needy and has less to give than an infant. Sure, they can be fun to cuddle, but never because they want to be. They’re takers through and through, no only because they’re selfish (though they are) but because they are helpless. We are all helpless, so admit it. Learned to receive what you cannot provide for yourself.
Q: What are the lessons of brokeness?
A: The good news of the gospel is not that God will provide a way to make life easier. The good news of the gospel, for this life, is that He will make our lives better. When God seems the most absent from us, He is doing His most important work in us) It isn’t always good to be blessed with the good things of life. Bad times provide an opportunity to know God that blessings can never provide.
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