Is God Always Good?

Have you ever felt that if you tried to address something that has been on your mind for a while that you might be opening that proverbial “can of worms” that you aren’t really sure you are ready to open? Such is the case with these words. I really am not certain that I am ready to speak to these matters but they are matters about which I can no longer be silent and feel compelled to speak what I have observed and concluded.

Let me paint the picture. It is best summarized in the thought that whenever wonderful things occur the response is how God is so great, wonderful and powerful. The doctor’s report reveals that the cancer cells have spread. Fervent prayers are lifted and the cells that once existed have miraculously disappeared. The response? “What an awesome God we serve.” In another situation, the job layoff has come and now your financial future is in peril and completely uncertain. The bills have late fees on top of late fees. You and friends are praying hard and just when hope is all but gone, a better job than you had is offered. The response? “Praise God, what an all caring God we serve.” And finally, you are traveling home from work when suddenly you hit an icy patch. You spin out of control narrowly avoiding hitting two other vehicles and come to a stop at the edge of a deep water filled ditch. The response. “God is so good.”

Are all these responses true? Are all these responses accurate? Are all these responses appropriate? Absolutely. God is good. God is awesome and so powerful.

The question that I have is what about when the return visit to the doctor reveals that the cancer cells have aggressively spread? Is God still awesome? What about when the financial situation plummets into foreclosure and bankruptcy? Does God still care? What about when the slippery ice results in the lose of life? Is God still good? I don’t doubt that the response to these questions by most would be positive. Of course God is good.

The problem that I see is that in these terrible circumstances we don’t talk about God’s goodness, power and how awesome He is. That language for the most part, is only used when things go our way, according to how we define good and the outcome is the one we want. The result, as I see it is that we create an unhealthy and inaccurate view of God.

I really believe that it’s important for people to hear God followers talk about how good, awesome and powerful He is regardless of our circumstances. In fact I think it would be helpful to make a real effort to do so when tragedy strikes. Now does this negate or nullify how terribly sad and difficult some of the circumstances of life are. Absolutely not! Cancer is terrible. Financial difficulties can be devastating. The tragic loss of life is heart wrenching. However I’ve come to the place that I believe that we all would have a healthier view of a loving God if we talked about how good, awesome and powerful He is when things are devastating.

For me I've come to a beautiful place where I rest in the belief that my good, powerful and awesome God can take the terrible things and bring good. For me to embrace this belief has been life changing in this journey of learning to live loved. It’s an exciting thing to watch and observe what Abba Father does with devastating things when we have the faith to be patient, to listen and watch.