God's "Allow"ance

Recently in the Rock Valley College newspaper-- The Valley Forge-- there was an opinion column written titled "An Open Letter to Jesus" this controversial article was more-or-less about how the author of the article was tired of the horrible weather we had been experiencing and requesting that Jesus/God make it stop.

The controversy rests within several lines of the article where the author states that he "would have gotten along famously (without Jesus dying for our sins.)"

This obvious blasphemy caused quite an uproar with the Christians at RVC. The editors received several letters stating that the Forge was a "left-wing" paper and that one columnists opinion- and right to free speech- was reflective of the entire VF staff.

Another response to the column claimed that "only crazy [Christians] believe that God 'allows' wars and school shootings." The thing with this last statement is that earlier in their letter they said that Mr. Columnist should research the religion before he bashes it. If the Responder knew about their faith also, they would know that- sadly- God does allow these things to happen.

The key difference is that He allows them to happen. It's not His will

If God did not allow things to happen, then how did they happen? As the Almighty Ruler of the universe if He obviously does not want us to do these things. But because of His promise of our free will these things can and do happen. If God doesn't allow all the bad things that happen in this world like rape, war, murder, teenage suicide, etc. then why are we even here? If God didn't allow all these things that would mean there'd be no free will.

Without free will there would have been no problems in the Garden of Eden and with Adam and Eve. God would have said "Don't eat from that tree" and their response would have been a resounding "Duh, okay!" with maybe just a little drool dripping down the side of their mouths because there wouldn't be a single thought in their heads.

Take, for example, the story of the Prodigal Son: the youngest child wants to cash in his inheritance early. His father allows him to do so because he knows his son has a mind and will of his own. Though the son was bull-headed and squandered all of his father's money he was welcomed back with open arms.

The father didn't want his son to leave and squander the riches that were going to be given to him. But he did allow it. The father could have easily said no to his son and kept his son from making a mistake. But the father knew that his son would only learn to appreciate what he had after it was gone.

As grim as it is to think that the Lord of all creation allows such things to happen the fact of the matter is that it's our fault that these things happen. Not Gods.

We make the choices to murder our brothers and sisters. We make the choices to abort pregnancies because they aren't convenient for us at this stage in our lives.

We worship a just God who is perfect. His will is perfect. We are imperfect in every way possible. We are dirty. We are immoral. We are made clean through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The only way mankind even still exists is because "...God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

If you are a Christian and do not believe that God allows bad things to happen in this world you are terribly mistaken. And the God that you believe in does not exist. God does not promise that as a follower of Him that your life will be all roses and chocolates.

The God of the universe wants to make us whole in an incomplete world. He wants to feed us while we are in a a barren wasteland. Shelter us against the storm that comes with being one of His chosen.

We will all be persecuted. We will endure many hardships. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:2-6)

We are all sinners. God allows sin to happen in this world. God wills us to follow Him. It's our choice to live a life of redemption or to just live.