Question:
Christians could you help me please
2008-08-03 16:35:16 UTC
I'm 17 and my dad is a pastor. The thing is, I don't believe in Christianity at all. It doesn't make any sense to me that there is a God and if there is, out of all the religions, why is Christianity the true one?

I desperately do want to believe in God but I just can't. I know what you're thinking. "Why does he want to believe in something he could never see as being true?" I don't know the answer to that but I guess I just long for what my whole family has..they feel loved by someone and they feel happy. Yet I don't, I feel alone and want what they have. I don't really care if I'm deluding myself. I hate the fact that I believe one day, I'll die and just rot underground, nothing will be left of me. I hate fearing death.

I mean, I believe there's a chance Christianity is true and so I feel why not go for it. If you die believing in this and it is true, I will go to heaven but if not...I don't want to take that risk.

I've read the bible from front to cover, it doesn't help me, I just feel like I'm ready a fairytale.

And the biggest problem? My whole family and everyone around me thinks I'm a total Christian. I've been faking it all these years that That's no way I can get them to help me.

Don't tell me the atheists are correct, I don't care if it is, I don't want it.

How can I believe in this? What do I do? I'veo ften thought about email the other pastors in my church and ask for help but leaving my name out...do you think it's a good idea?
38 answers:
craig c
2008-08-04 03:18:49 UTC
Being a pastors kid does not make you saved. Nor does going to church on a sunday make you a christian-just like someone being in a garage makes them a car!

I grew up in a Christian family, went to church and sunday school, was a good kid, however when i joined the army from school my so-called christianity went out the window! I didn't believe at all! I became a total beer swilling athiest who constantly took the piss out of religion! When i left the army i went to university to study geology and physics. I was totally sold out to evolution etc. My mom however had other plans for me and prayed and prayed, always trying to get me to church to be "saved," but i just laughed at her and would make hurting remarks about her going to church to sacrifice chickens to the space monkey! Then i got it into my head to take away my moms faith through science and reason-arrogant and cruel huh?! So i started to research, i went to extreme lengths, i took a closer look at scientific theory, i even learned hebrew to read the ancient texts! I had a blast looking at all branches of science, history, theology. Eventually i found evolution to be impossible, i found that the only creation model that worked was the biblical one, i found that the bible also plugged the gaps at the quantum level with one unified theory that can be measured over and over again with the same results therefore making it fact and not theory! To top that i had a personal revelation of Yeshua (Jesus) for myself, and now i totally believe, and have a personal relationship with the living God! Awesome! You have to seek God for yourself, you have to have your own wilderness experience, and yes it can be painfull because God makes you face who you are, He breaks you, but then He remakes you-better! Hey man contact me anytime, im here for you bro and will pray for you.
2008-08-03 16:52:23 UTC
I thik that you should thikn about the enviroment you are in. If there isn't a God, then why would he put a guy like you who doesn't believe in a place where veryone does. He wants to show you the way.

And if this helps I think in a way all the religions are connected. i find it odd that all over the world there are religions with one God, where he lives in heaven and there is hell and everything. If God isn't real then why do so many people believe in Him, and why do some many people all over the world believe in a god? when these religions were formed, people didn't talk to each other, people from different countries didn't didn't know all the other places igsistes, so then how was there a god? There was zeus, there is allah, there is buddha, and all the others. Who's to say which religion is the correct one? they are mostly the same, they all have a god.

Everything happens for a reason, think about your whole life, all the experiences you have had. All the things you have learned, and who you are today, do you think you could do that on your own?
jill_vic
2008-08-03 17:15:37 UTC
Great that you have been able to be honest here. It must be very hard for you right now.....my immediate thought is that you maybe need to have a break from your home circle, maybe a gap year, and/or just a holiday. It sounds as if you do deep down want God in your life - even though you feel like a fraud right now, you do want to know what is true out there.



Maybe you could go somewhere where there is a real, radical move of the Holy Spirit like Lakeland, Florida (Ignited Church) or TACF in Toronto, especially their Freshwind youth conference just before Easter....in the UK you could maybe go to a "Soul Survivor" event - just somewhere you could step back, and then jump into a different expression of Christianity than what you have been used to. Or Taize community in France?



The Lord bless your search for reality and truth!
Beulah
2008-08-03 17:20:32 UTC
Say what you have said here to Jesus. He understands better than anyone. Satan is very good at putting doubts in our minds. He did it to Eve and look at the result. He tried it with Jesus, but after Jesus's time of temptation in the wilderness, He put satan behind Him and moved on. I am sure you will do so also. We all need a times of testing, they help us grow.



By all means ask another pastor in your church. Explain that you do not want to upset or hurt your parents, but that you are having a crisis of faith, and that you need someone to talk to in confidence. That is what they are there for.



Does your church have a Youth Pastor? I can almost gaurantee he has been through much the same as you are going through now. As in fact has every Christian.



And you are right it is not about your parents, it is all about you. You cannot get to heaven via your parents faith, even if it has been strong enough for you up until now. You need your own relationship with Jesus.



God bless.
2008-08-03 17:01:18 UTC
I think I can help you because I went through a very similar thing when I was your age. I didn't believe for years (from 5th grade until sophmore year of college) and it caused a little discomfort all around. I would suggest praying for faith daily and reading Christian apologetics. You seem like you are skeptical of things like this and therefore will require a lot of information before you feel comfortable believing. A good book would be The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and also his Case for the Creator. Read these two and grasp what they are saying and the intellectual battel will be won. Then it is just living a good Christian life of loving God and loving your neighbor.



Loving God may seem difficult if you don' t know what He is but instead love what you know of Him (Goodness, Light, Beauty, Truth etc) and it will bring you closer to Him. Don't pretend to believe though that might be a recipe for a dishonest and dualist lifestyle.



In life we are given nothing but people and creation and we should realize the best we can do in life is to love those people, the creation around us and the God who has given it to us. That is the Christian life in brief.
2008-08-03 16:54:06 UTC
It's funny how every so often something you read sticks in your mind. This little item must have been in a school textbook - so it's many years now since I saw it! Dealing with astronomy and the various planets and galaxies, the book mentioned that there were more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches in the world. I remember my mind boggling to comprehend that at the time and, to be honest, I still find it hard to accept - it's just too big a concept. Yet it's beyond dispute. There are too many stars ever to be counted. Just billion upon billion, endless, and the most powerful of our telescopes can only scratch at the vastness. All our space discovery, exploration and expertise put together must represent a pinpoint on a football, and the more our scientists learn, the more we realise how puny our knowledge is.



And behind this incomprehensibly complex universe is a Creator. That's not hard to believe. It would take more faith than I can find to believe there was no design, only random chance. I've yet to meet a genuine atheist. The ones who tell me they don't believe there's a God invariably turn out to be regular agnostics - they don't really know. When eventually I meet someone who's convinced there's no God, no Creator, I'll disagree with his views but admire his faith.



As I say, I have no problem believing in a Creator. The extraordinary aspect of Christian belief is that this great, all-powerful Creator God, who holds the whole universe together, is aware of insignificant ants like us. And not only does He know about me and about you - He loves us and longs to have our love in return. It is mind-boggling - far-fetched even. If it wasn't for Jesus bridging the gulf, it would be almost to good to be true.
2008-08-03 17:07:38 UTC
Ok so you've read the Bible from cover to cover and it's done nothing for you. You need to see how the prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in the New. At least some are -- some are yet to be fulfilled in God's good time.



If you have marginal references look at the New Testament and see where those references lead. Those in Isaiah are brilliant. So explore the Bible and see what Jesus himself says about the Old Testament and Moses, David, Abraham etc. Really give yourself to studying it with an open mind. And pray for help in your understanding.



I hope this helps. xx
hollie
2008-08-03 17:15:44 UTC
I feel your pain, i really do. I believed in God, not necessarily all of the Bible or the Christian faith but i felt that God was with me and loved me and i felt warmth from him. Now, however, as i have grown older, more pessimistic and less willing to see the beauty of the world, i can't help but feel that my faith in God is slipping away from me and that one day i'll just die and that will be the end of it. Hopefully all is not lost for either of us.



Good luck in finding your faith.
Jennifer G
2008-08-03 17:04:51 UTC
Don't try and force yourself to believe something because of fear of the unknown. You're still young, keep reading and living and you'll eventually discover something that you feel in your heart is right for you. I'm not Christian but I have studied the bible and the holy books of most other world religions searching for something that is right for me. You have to read a lot of history to understand things in their truest context as well. Just take your time, and if you want to talk feel free to email me.
ashleys7786
2008-08-03 20:40:33 UTC
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/radio034.htm



Read that. I think it proves that there is more than "a chance that Christianity is true." Once you believe that it is then confess your previous unbelief to God. Acknowlege that Jesus paid the penalty of your sins by dying on the cross. Ask Him to come into your heart to be your Savior. The day you pray the sinners prayer and mean it, your old self is dead. It is then Jesus living through you and your life is for Him.



Believe in Him.Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

Open the Bible to the Gospel of John and read what God says about Jesus, about you, and about being born again.



God will help you. He loves you.



http://contenderministries.org/romanroad.php That link has a bunch of verses from the Bible that pertain to getting saved.
guraqt2me
2008-08-03 16:54:52 UTC
Be up front with your parents and inform them of your intentions to pursue a different way of living. It doesn't matter what others think, it is what God thinks. "Faking it" does no one any value especially YOU ! God wants you to be honest with yourself and gives you choice.

It is of most importance that you be true to yourself. God desire only those, who worship Him in both, spirit and truth. Again; be up-front and honest about your choices. I'm a Christian, by the way firstly, because I made the choice to follow this way of life. Had I not experienced life in the fast lane (in the world), prior to becoming a Christian at God's election or calling me into the faith, I would of only been conforming and kidding myself. God wants His followers to become transformers not conformers. As you already know, the world is full of conformers not individuals. Remember; you may sincerely believe that you are leaving "religion" but think twice. The world's religion is $, sex, street drugs, cars, careers, education, intellectualism, booze, homes, cigarettes, etc., etc. In reality, there is no "religion-free" way of life. You either, are serving yourself or serving God - it is impossible to have it both ways! Best of luck to you in your new pursuit of choice.
abelinagallegos
2008-08-03 16:57:17 UTC
Look im sorry to all the other ones who answered to you and I hate to sound so rude but there all WRONG. I dont know if youve heard about Mormons but it is the true church. Im 15 and you know I watch lots of tv and south park and on one of the south park episodes every one dies and goes to hell even the good christians and they ask satan why theyre in hell and he says well only the mormons went to heaven and I think if the writers of south park would write that then they know too that mormons have the real church even if they arent mormon. I would really like to tell you more much much more about the Church of jesus christ of latter day saints so please email me at abelinagallegos@yahoo.com ive recently been doing a lot of drugs and I am now finding out the real truth and I knew the second I went to church that it was the true church. PLEASE PLEASE email me. I want to help you even if you dont beleive me just email me. Because when you die you dont just die! You go to heaven with heavenly father and you pass through the veil and youll remeber everything. Before you came to earth you were a spirit and you personally chose to come to earth to go through the test. earth is just a test I want to tell you more so please email me.
2008-08-03 16:50:41 UTC
You are on the right track. You realise that there is no supreme being and that the christian superstition doesn't make much sense. You shouldn't blame yourself for being a fake; more than half of all atheists in America are "in the closet" for fear of rejection and attack. And that danger is very real, christians will kill you to "save your soul". You can find atheist support groups on the internet that can help you "coming out" in safe manner.

As far as death is concerned, death is the thing you have the least to fear of. Were you bothered or uncomfortable in all the years before you were born? Death is the same, you're simply not around.
ANDRE L
2008-08-03 16:47:01 UTC
You have to be true to your views and values. No one can, or should, choose either of those for you. And, this isn't an issue where "faking it" is really an option, because that would mean that you would have to change from being an honest person, into a dishonest one. You don't want to do that, I can see from your details. And, you shouldn't.

Follow not as much your heart, as you mind. Beyond that, all I can tell you is that you can't always have what you want, when you know that its just not true. The honest person follows facts and truth over their own emotional comfort.

And, your family will have to accept that, if they profess to be loving people, themselves. If they don't, well, that will just add to the wrongness of their actions.
scotty_84116
2008-08-03 16:53:56 UTC
Which Christian church is really Christian? They are all divided and Christ is not divided. Joseph Smith had the same problem as you and at age 15 he went to the bible for an answer; James 1:5 "If any of you lack wildom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" If you want to get the full story, try www.lds.org.
sego lily
2008-08-03 16:48:32 UTC
Will you sit down in a quiet place and tell God these very words, just open up your heart to Him, He already knows how you feel and He has the answer for you

ask Him to be real to you and read First John

don't go by feelings or reasoning, just know that when you come to Him with a sincere heart, He is touched and will answer you in His own way and time

take your time to read First John (near the back of your Bible) and what ever stands out as you read, ask Him about it, make it a daily pleasure looking to Him for His love and relationship

I'm sure He has a wonderful plan for your life< an expected end ~

plans to prosper you in every way
Zhevon C
2008-08-03 17:13:26 UTC
I am kind of new at this myself so I might not have all the answers you need but I do believe that having the desire to know if there really is a god, is a major step!

I had the same struggle...reading the bible, wanting to believe but for some reason something was holding me back. mostly it was pride i guess because I am so used to doing things on my own the thought of calling on jesus who i don't see physically was hard for me to grasp.

But then last year I had a trial, something completely out of my control and I had nothing to do then to give jesus a try. I would ask him questions and he would reveal himself to me the next sermon. For example if I had asked him what to do about school, the subject of school would be in the sermon that given sunday. At first I thought it was coincindence but then I started asking smaller questions and there was no doubt that he was helping me through that trial and that his love for me was so great.

What I am saying is, even though reading the bible is a great thing because it is the word of god and it is a way of knowing who our savior is...what you need more than anything is to start having a prayer life if you haven't already started.



Ask the lord to reveal himself and keep on asking and surely he will!



(Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV) "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.



some more suggestions



Get a study bible with notes about what you are reading for better understanding and before you read pray that the lord makes it real to you and do it consistently, don't give up if you don't see immidate results just know that the lords timing is perfect and he will not give up on you. He knows you...and by that i mean he really KNOWS you better than you know yourself so he knows what you need even before you ask it. So just ask him to help your disbelief and he shall.



I don't know about you but testimonies really help sometimes, just hearing about miracles makes you wonder if there is really something bigger than ourselves out there.



Another thing that I have started to do is journaling

I write down reflections on what i just read

every prayer that has been answered and every time the lord has revealed himself to me..this way when i start to doubt in times of trouble I know that there is a god and there is nothing that can seperate me from that love



Go to church. you probably already to that but it is meant to fellowship with others. Don't be afraid to ask questions, if you are not comfortable asking your family then see a spiritual counselor and ask them to pray for you.



For some inspiration i'd suggest listening to some christian music and fellowshiping with believers who really know god.



God see's your desire and will not give up on you so long as you pray. If you have a problem desiring him then ask him to help you in that area

His glory and power is much stronger than our weakness!



"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."



I will pray for you as well



but here are some great pastors on tv and you probably can hear them over the net as well



Joel Osteen

Billy Graham

Joyce Meyer



also just google some sites about god but be careful on the source

www.bible.com is a pretty reliable source



God Bless
joyfulheart
2008-08-03 16:46:13 UTC
I was a PK too. (still am I guess) I didn't get saved until I was 19.



First, have you tried praying and asking God to show you truth? Try reading throught the ten commandments. Think about how you have sinned against a Holy God. When you are broken, Cry out for mercy. (like David in Psalm 51)



Also:

go to wayofthemasterradio.com



There is an option there to contact them. I feel confident that these guys can help you with any of your questions. This is what they do, ok.



Hey, I'm gonna pray for you. Ok
FROG E
2008-08-03 16:51:21 UTC
Many Christians go through what you are feeling....we hear so much "junk" in the world and especially in R&S. It's hard to know what is true and what is false.



"christianity" gives Jesus a bad name. people have a way of twisting God's word in to what they want it to be.........Jesus deserves so much more that that. He is for real and He loves you. He died for you and paid the price for your sins so you would not have to go to hell. All you have to do is believe it.



I just read a good book called "The Shack" by William Young. I think the story may help you.
Devoted1
2008-08-03 16:40:41 UTC
Sure, go ahead and ask the other pastors in your church and see what they have to say on the subject. You might be surprised.



But it's also important for you to be open and honest with your dad. Tell him how you feel. Maybe he can shed some light on the subject that will be helpful. He's been around a lot longer than you have and is probably pretty smart.



God bless you!

Poppy
?
2016-10-17 01:31:02 UTC
they at the instant are not Jews because of the fact Jew's don't think the messiah has come yet. they don't have faith Jesus so believing in Jesus and asserting your Jewish needless to say contradicts one yet another.... it is unhappy that there are those Evangelist Christians that decision themselves "Jews". end this custom now, your disgracing the two Judaism and Christianity.
pops6w
2008-08-03 17:19:59 UTC
Asking a christian they wil only try bring u round to their way of thinking when you need to think for yourself.
2008-08-03 16:51:11 UTC
lifes a ***** aint it,,

at 17 years it is only right you should be making your own decisions on this subject and every other one you will face in a lifetime,i was brought up in the church and about your age i decided i didnt believe in god either and i said so out loud,,,it will cause some friction but eventually your family will have to respect your judgement,and like you say its what you want,,,so come out and say so
ckrug
2008-08-03 16:44:32 UTC
First my friend you can not read the bible with your natural mind because Satan will have a field day misinterpreting every word rather, you first need to except Jesus into your life were He is able to live in your spirit. His Spirit witnesses with your spirit. Every time we come to God's word we have to ask for the blood of Christ to wash us from our sins. Try just calling on His name until you feel your spirit come alive. Ask for the Truth in understanding His word. Believe me you will witness for yourself, as if a light bulb has been turned on the Words become Life and you will be saying to yourself " I've never read these words like this before"

Best Wishes and God bless
2008-08-03 16:51:21 UTC
I see here another soul (you, the person) that has had his faith DESTROYED by the educational system - you have been brainwashed.



Please, have a look at http://www.drdino.com/downloads.php and get yourself this set of eight videos and watch them and learn some truth as your education so far has filled your head with falsehoods.



Another site is http://www.answersingenesis.org/ - One of the men there is Ken Ham, and he has a book [ The LIE: Evolution ] that also explains how the theory of evolution cannot work!
no1home2day
2008-08-03 16:45:47 UTC
Read about the life and times of Jesus Christ for yourself.



You'll find it in a book called the Bible, in the books called "Matthew", "Mark", "Luke", and "John", and see for yourself.



But, note these few passages:

"Now, there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written. " (Joh 21:25)



and



"And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, how that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me. " (Luk 24:44)



and



"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son. And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life. These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God. " (1Jn 5:10-13)



One last thing I want to point out - as you read through the gospels, remember that Jesus said that you can know God, through Himself ( Jesus Christ).



Jesus said that He did ONLY what He saw His Father in heaven do. (No man has seen God at any time, yet Jesus SEES God and copies His behaviors, so Jesus must be something MORE than a mere man, since no MAN has seen God.) He KNEW God. He even said that He came from the very HEART of God, so He could say objectively, "When you've seen ME, you've seen the Father."



Furthermore, Jesus said "I am Truth." Was Jesus telling the truth when He said that? Or was He a liar?



Jesus also said "I am Life", and again, "I am the bread of Life that has come down from My Father in heaven to give Life.", and again, "I am the water of life. Whoever is thirsty, come to me, and out of his inner-most being shall flow rivers of living waters", and finally, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. If any man believe in me, though he may die, yet shall he live again."



He said, "You already believe in God, now believe in me."



In his famous book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."



God said that "If you seek for me, then you shall find me, if you search for me with all your heart (with an honest and humble heart), and I WILL be found of you, says the Lord."



If you ask God with a sincere and open heart, He promises that He WILL reveal Himself to you.



God bless you as you seek to find and know God.
Cee T
2008-08-03 17:09:42 UTC
Someone in the Bible prayed, "Help Thou mine unbelief." Try that.

I'll pray for you.
Kc
2008-08-03 16:40:23 UTC
Your parents will still love your regardless of your religious views. You owe it to yourself to follow your heart.



If you don't believe in Christianity, then you don't subscribe to the idea of heaven and hell. You can't go to either because they don't exist.



Wishful thinking doesn't equate to anything in the end.
S.az
2008-08-03 16:41:22 UTC
i had the same problem as you but with another religion.

lemme tell you, if truely have seeked God, and dnt find him. thn you just dont believe. and your parents will have to accept. and they will still love you, if they believe in jesus.

where as, if you want to try other religions, go ahead, islam and many others, lets see if you find the truth!

God luck! youre amazing so keep studying!
mike vt
2008-08-03 16:46:52 UTC
Paul Washer has a great video speaking to 5000 youth.



but without much prayer seeking the empowering of the Holy Spirit it to will be without power.



http://www.puritanfellowship.com/2007/09/paul-washer-shocking-youth-message.html
2008-08-03 16:56:04 UTC
This may help.



http://www.near-death.com/storm.html



Take care.
(R)evolution RE Anti-theist™
2008-08-03 16:45:30 UTC
There are some good understanding people at this site who have had similar experiences and will be able to help you



http://exchristian.net/testimonies/



Good luck and I hope you find peace.
2008-08-03 16:42:56 UTC
i been in your place before it is sometimes hard to believe in something you can not see , but thats what faith is all about try praying to god for guidance even if you can't see him he is there remember just because you don't believe in him doesn't mean he doesn't believe in you



email me if you want more information
2008-08-03 16:46:17 UTC
If you dont believe, then you just dont believe. Why dont you concentrate on studying all religions and Philosophies?
tj
2008-08-03 16:41:25 UTC
You have learned it , now start living it, God will take over from there

God bless
2008-08-03 16:41:23 UTC
Accept the Lord as your Saviour and ask him to forgive you of your sins. Repent from your sins and turn from them.

If you have any questions, email me.
2008-08-03 16:39:37 UTC
PLEASE run and get a copy of GRACE WALK by Steve McVey!! It is a very SHORT and simple read that will change your life! It has been a HUGE blessing and freedom in my life!
Cross Crafter
2008-08-03 16:43:34 UTC
There is nothing random in the world



What is Providence? It is one of the basic characteristics of God – to see all that is going on, was going on, and will be going on in the future as though it is the present, and to have omnipotent concern for safeguarding all creation and wisely managing all its manifestations. St. John Damascene describes it thus: “Providence is Divine will which maintains everything and wisely rules over everything.”





If we examine any kind of events and manifestations without looking into their causes and consequences, then many things may seem random to us. If, however, we look at them from a true point of view, i.e. if we judge the things happening in the world from the viewpoint of Divine intelligence, then we will see that there is nothing in the world that occurs randomly, that occurs without the will and the Providence of God. God’s mind is infinite and encompasses everything that we can fathom. The Almighty God penetrates and sees all places in a single moment: the height of the heavens, and the width of the earth, the depth of the sea and the unfathomable abyss.





In all matters of Divine rule His Providence and His care shine forth wondrously, not only directing all creatures by dint of His might, but being inherent in them and essential to them. We, being blind, think that many things in the world happen blindly by chance, whereas everything without exception occurs according to God’s pre-eternal counsel, according to His will and Providence.





The blessed Augustine justly said: “Everything that we, without understanding the matter, believe to occur randomly, chaotically, and without God’s direction, does, on the contrary, take place according to God’s will.” Let us explain this by means of an example: a master sends two of his servants to the same place, but along different routes and without telling either of them of the other. Their meeting at that place is accidental as far as the servants are concerned, for they were not expecting to meet each other, but is not accidental in regard to the master. In like manner a beggar finds a hidden trove (buried treasure or money) accidentally, but for God, Who wished the treasure to be buried there for the beggar to find it and become enriched, this is not an accidental occurrence, but God’s fatherly Providence, providing for the poor man. For God there are no accidental occurrences.





Often we are deceived in calling accidental certain events in which God’s supreme Wisdom and Providence are revealed. It was not by chance that robbers out of fear threw the body of a person they had killed into the tomb of the prophet Elisha, where the dead man, upon touching Elisha’s bones, immediately came alive. It was not by chance that Moses was placed in a tar-covered basket and sent down the river, where the Pharaoh’s daughter found him and adopted him. It was not by chance that the iniquitous Israeli King Ahab was struck by an arrow that flew in between the seams of his armor. Truly that arrow was directed by the hand of God, just as was the one which struck Julian the Apostate; only for the soldier who let fly the arrow was it accidental. It was not by chance that swallows flew into the home of Tobit and blinded the righteous man. This happened at God’s command, in order to hold Tobit up as an example to succeeding generations, as we learn from the Angel who accompanied his son Tobias. Nothing happens by chance. It was not by chance that Caesar Augustus ordered the census to be taken in the year of Christ’s Nativity. It was not by chance that Christ met with the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar and spoke with her. All this was foreseen and written down in the books of Divine Providence before the beginning of time.





Often God, in His wise concern for us, leads us along barely passable paths of life, but He knows well the path that will bring us to the celestial paradisiacal gardens. Why should we utter complaints against the wisest and most reliable Guide in our life? Each one of us is accompanied by God’s Providence along our path of life, from the day of our birth to the day of our departure for eternal life, as long as we remain loyal to God’s direction, indicated by our Saviour in His holy Gospel.





Speaking of God’s Providence, it is impossible not to recall the story of the Israeli King Saul, who, being sent by his father to find their lost donkeys, found himself a kingdom. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel, to whom God revealed that Saul was the one who should be anointed to rule over the Jewish people. Everything happened according to God’s unfathomable command, as though in the normal course of events: Saul found both the donkeys and a kingdom, of which he had had no thought. How different are God’s fates from human intentions: Saul had no thought of a royal scepter, but by God’s will was placed upon a throne. Thus, it was not by chance that the donkeys became lost, not by chance that Saul was sent to find them, not by chance that for a long time he was unable to find them, and not by chance did he go to the seer Samuel to learn of their whereabouts: all of this took place in accordance with God’s Providence, in order to enthrone Saul as king of Israel.





At the same time the following question arises of its own accord: why did God wish to anoint Saul to the kingdom, if He knew in advance that the latter would subsequently fall into iniquity and end his life wretchedly?





Instead of a direct answer I will offer you my own questions: why did God create His angels in grace, knowing in advance that some of them would offer resistance to God and would be eternally rejected by Him for their sin? Why did God settle Adam in Paradise, knowing that Adam would not live in Paradise for long, but would be expelled from it? Why did Christ add Judas Iscariot to the circle of the apostles, knowing in advance that the latter would become a traitor to Him? What is the reason for such changes in God’s determinations?





The blessed Jerome responds to such questions thusly: “Would you like to learn the reason for such changes? Here it is: God does not judge future deeds, but present ones, and does not condemn anyone by His foreknowledge, although He knows that a good man may subsequently change into an evil one; at the same time, by His mercy he places man in the situation which he deserves at the present time, and thus gives him strength, in the case of a fall, to return to the true path by means of repentance. Adam did not sin because God foresaw his sin, but the reason God foresaw it was because Adam was to sin on the basis of his free will.”





St. Ambrose says the same: “Adam did not sin because he received the commandment, nor did Judas sin because he was chosen to be an apostle, for God did not lay upon them the need: for one to transgress the commandment and for the other to become a traitor. Both of them, had they faithfully held on to their responsibilities, could have abstained from sin. Those of whom God knows that they will subsequently lead a virtuous life, are often evil in the beginning, while those of whom He knows that they will sin, are often initially good. You are presently standing, but beware lest you fall. The holy Apostle Peter fell – and you should be careful; Judas fell, in order to deter you from falling.”





No effort on our part can protect us without God’s help, but by the same token, God’s help without man’s wish (will) will not bring any benefit either, as we see in the examples of Peter and Judas. We should avoid one-sidedness: we should not remain indolent, placing all care upon God, but equally we should not believe that by dint of our own effort, without God’s help or will, we can do good. For God Himself does not do everything, in order not to leave us in idleness, but equally does not allow us to do everything, in order to protect us from pride and vanity. God leads us away from everything that may harm us, but He urges us towards everything that is beneficial for us and helps us attain it.



God’s Providence is revealed with the greatest wisdom: usually not every transgression is punished right away, nor, on the other hand, is it left without any punishment at all. If God did not subject evildoing to punishment, many people would think that there is no Providence. Yet if punishment followed immediately upon the transgression, in that case they would think that there are neither rewards, nor punishment after death. For this reason God, by punishing only some, thus reveals His Providence; and when He does not punish others directly after their transgression, He then threatens them with punishment after death in the eternal life, if they do not repent in this one.





God turns all earthly misfortunes to our benefit and for our good; He allows actual sins in order to attain the most supreme, unfathomable, and mysterious goals of His Divine rule. For both the doing of good deeds and the tolerance of evildoing is a quality belonging exclusively to Divine Providence. Truly God would never have allowed evil, if He were not powerful enough and good enough to produce good consequences from every evil deed. Tell me in conscience: when did a greater or viler evil appear in the world than Adam’s transgression and the killing of Christ the Saviour, the new Adam? – However, the original sin brought God from heaven down to earth, to take upon Himself the human body, while Christ’s death opened up the heavens to us and gave us back all that we had lost through Adam. The supreme God is also the wisest craftsman, turning all evil actions into a reason for creating the best consequences, just as gold is produced from an amorphous lump. The Magdalene’s sins served as cause for the rectification of many; Peter’s fall served as an example of genuine repentance for a countless multitude of people; and Thomas’s disbelief reassured many of the truth of Christ’s resurrection. God did not sow sins, yet reaps from them a rich harvest of virtues. Truly God distills honey out of rock and oil out of granite, when out of the greatest iniquities He produces the most beneficial consequences.





In a similar manner God’s Providence is vigilant over us, and keeps vigil indefatigably, so that even our most minute discomforts do not go unnoticed. Consequently each one of us, whenever we are subjected to physical discomfort, should reason thusly: this illness or other misfortune, whether it came as a result of my carelessness, or through human malice, or from some other cause, – has not in any case occurred without God’s Providence, which has determined it in accordance with my strength, so that its inception and its weight (weakening or intensification) depend on God. The method of treating and healing it likewise depends on God’s Providence, which instructs the physician and indicates the means of treatment, or counteracts it, for all good and bad things, life and death, poverty and wealth, – all come from the Lord. Similarly, in all things that befall us, we must reason that they have been foreseen and allowed by God. If an enemy maligns or curses you – know that all his abuses and words spoken in malice have been placed from eternity upon the scales of God’s Providence: he will say only as much as has been allowed him and not a word more. Why are you opposing him and getting angry in vain? In like manner look upon all your other misfortunes, whose provenance, number, weight, duration, and end have all been foreseen by God. Therefore, subject yourself to God’s Providence, saying: may Thy will be done, my God! All of this has occurred by Thy Providence and tolerance. And since Thou hast allowed this, I would be an iniquitous sinner if I were to rise against Thee in indignation. Thus I remain in obedience to Thy holy will, my God, and gratefully accept all that Thou sendest me, and will endure everything patiently.





The blessed Augustine says: “The sea of life is turbulent, and Thou, Lord, seest evildoers flourishing and good men being oppressed: this raises a tempest within the heart. O Lord God! Does this constitute Thy truth, that evildoers prosper while good men suffer? – And God replies to you: is such your faith? Is this what I had promised you (i.e. a thriving state)? And is this why you are called a Christian, in order to delight in worldly successes?” Let us humble ourselves before God, and let us soothe our hearts with faith in God’s Providence whenever we see the unrighteous dominating, the righteous being persecuted, righteousness being eradicated, and truth being destroyed. None of this would be happening if the Lord did not allow it, and in truth, He would not allow it, if He did not have sufficient reason to believe that it was better to allow than to forbid. You may say that such tolerance gives rise to a multitude of tribulations and the greatest unrest. One may feel sorry for the situation, but within the bounds of reason, for there were justified reasons for God to wish it so, since out of the greatest evil God may produce the most wondrous good, just as easily as slipping a sword out of its sheath.





Do not be surprised, for God’s judgment is mysterious and unfathomable: at Christ’s second coming, at the dread day of judgment, the entire life of every person will appear as in a mirror; also every reason for which God’s Providence produced one or another event, and why, will be totally clarified: for all kingdoms, cities, families, and each individual. Everything will be revealed. It will be revealed how merciful was the Lord to sinners, and each one of them will remain mute; and also the extent to which the image of God’s rule of the world accorded with His glory and truth will also be revealed, and how right and beneficial it had been for all.





Let us not forget that out of every evil God creates some good. What was more sorrowful than the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, together with all mankind? However, God has so reconstituted them, that the current state of a Christian is higher than was Adam’s state in paradise. Christ’s death on the cross was a stumbling block for the Jews and foolishness for the Greeks; however, it became the salvation of the entire world, and for all those who were called – an honor, and glory, and attainment of an eternal life of rapture (1 Cor. 1:23).



God’s solicitude for our needs



God is the most solicitous caretaker. In His hands He holds all of life’s great and wealthy resources, and only from Him should we ask for them in fervent prayer. The desert-dweller Mark used to say: Whoever has no hope of receiving temporary necessities from God, would have even less hope of receiving from Him that which leads into eternal life. But if God has given us a body, will He not clothe it? Is not life (the soul) superior to victuals and the body to clothes? Just as He granted us life (without any merit on our part, when we did not even yet exist), so undoubtedly will He give us all that is needful for preserving life and nourishing the body. Even more so will He not deny us this, since He Himself, in His supreme goodness, has wished to grant us existence and life. And if He freely and willingly gave us what is most important for us, then He can give, and wishes to give, and always sends us the less important things too. But He will send them on condition that we do not remain idle: for He has created us and placed us on earth for us to cultivate it and maintain it in order, and not for idleness, and for us to place our hope in Him alone, the All-powerful and All-generous One, and not in ourselves.





Christ Himself teaches us, saying: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them” (Matt. 6:26). The same Heavenly Teacher goes on to say: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father’s will. For the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:29). This first argument against our lack of faith is presented to us in the form of living creatures who feed themselves without any care, – so that at least from their example we would learn to recognize the omnipotence of God’s Providence – our sole source of tranquility and inner peace.





The second argument comes in the form of wild flowers. Having pointed out God’s Providence in regard to sparrows, the Lord Christ then says: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matt. 6:28-29). And from this Christ draws the following conclusion: “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (6:30). To this our Saviour adds a third point on the futility of our self-concern, saying: “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (6:27). Every self-concern of ours that is not joined with hope in God is futile and vain, of which the Lord goes on to say: “If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?” (Luke 12:26). If God does not bless it, our entire effort is in vain, idle, useless. In your every affair and activity place all your hopes in God, and He (without any effort on your part) will arrange everything for the best by His ineffable mercy.





Thus, if the Lord God concerns Himself with satisfying the basic needs of all creatures in general, for He created both the great and the small and takes care of all equally, why are there so many beggars and deprived people everywhere? Brethren, God’s Providence in regard to poor people is truly wondrous. St. John Chrysostome has rightly said of this, that not only the poor have need of the rich, but the rich have even greater need of the poor. Everything that was and is good and God-pleasing in the world has been created through the effort and activity of poor but hard-working and God-fearing people. Being deprived of comfort and money, they worked diligently and did not forget God, but prayed to their Creator and Caretaker, Who was a benefactor to them even in the midst of their need. Many of God’s saints, living in extreme poverty, loved it much more than wealth and were always the recipients of God’s greatest Providence.





In truth, God is so solicitous of people who have entrusted themselves to Him wholeheartedly, that when they are deprived of human help, He sends them His divine help. Although we often receive the same grace from God in our needs and deprivations, there is still much lack of faith among many of us, who fear to lose sufficient and requisite necessities for maintaining our life here. O, how faint-hearted we are! Our Heavenly Father knows of all our needs: do we think that God’s mercy has now dwindled in comparison with former times?





For 60 years St. Paul, the first desert-dweller, was brought half-a-loaf of bread each day by a raven; however, when the saint was visited by St. Anthony the Great, the raven brought a whole loaf. St. John the desert-dweller did not see any people for 14 years, and all this while he subsisted on a doe’s milk. Many hermits had food and clothes from fig trees. In 603 A.D. Judoc, son of the Breton king, renounced his throne, became a monastic, and later became a hermit. On an island surrounded by water he built a church and founded a monastery. He was so generous to the poor that the monastery once remained with only a single loaf of bread for the working brothers, and even that loaf he ordered to be cut into four parts and the first part given to a beggar. This beggar, changing his clothes, came up four times on the same day to ask for charity and thus received all four pieces of the bread, so that there was nothing left for feeding the brothers. Consequently one of them began to grumble and berate his abbot for latter’s extreme generosity. Judoc then comforted him and told him to wait for help from above. A few hours later, four ships sailed up to the monastery, laden with foodstuffs which abundantly fed the starving brothers. The blessed Augustine rightly said: “Do you think that the one who feeds Christ (i.e. the poor) will not himself be fed by Christ?”





The abbot of a certain monastery sent two brothers out on business affairs. When evening came, the two travelers, exhausted by their labors, being hungry and depressed, began to bemoan the fact that they would soon arrive at a poor town, and now knowing anyone there, they would find no respite or sustenance. A certain stranger met them on the way and asked them about their depressed state, and when the monks revealed their sorrow to him, he said: “You have left everything for the sake of God, placing your entire hope in Him, and now you sorrow as though left without any hope! God feeds the cattle – do you think He will let His sons perish from hunger?” Saying thus, the stranger became invisible. When the monks entered the town and prayed in the church, the mayor himself invited them over for supper, they went to his house, and he fed them abundantly. However, such examples do not eradicate our lack of faith; despite everything that God sends us, we fear privation, and if we do not have everything in overabundance, we are greatly saddened.





Here is an example of our lack of belief: it is said about a certain beggar, that having looked into his basket and seeing it full of loaves of bread gathered from many benefactors, he then declared: now I feel myself well provided for. We ourselves are very like this beggar: only then do we feel assured in our hope in God, when our storerooms are full of all kinds of goods that will last us for many years.





St. John, Patriarch of Alexandria, was not like that at all. Having suffered enormous losses after a tempest destroyed thirteen church ships loaded with grain, each ship carrying ten thousand measures of grain, he placed all his hope in God and in Him alone found his greatest comfort. At that time practically half of Alexandria’s citizens suffered similar losses and, moreover, all the seamen and the passengers who were saved from the storm gathered in Alexandria as in a safe haven. To all of them St. John immediately sent a letter of consolation, in which he wrote words of comfort to all: “The Lord gave, and the Lord took away; as the Lord wished, so it came about; blessed be the name of the Lord! Be patient, children, and do not fear anything!” The next day many of the most prominent citizens gathered at St. John’s residence to comfort him in his losses. But he, however, took all the blame upon himself, saying: “God preserved me from a great sin: if this had not happened, I would have prided myself on handing out so much charity to the poor, and I would have had a high opinion of my own generosity; and for this reason the loving Father justly punished the vain son to prevent his growing pride. God mercifully instructs us by allowing us to suffer some traumas, in order for us to come to our senses and quickly turn to Him. But He is the very same God Who existed in Job’s time, just as omnipotent and just as merciful, and He will not abandon us.” With these words the patriarch comforted those who had come to comfort him. And, in truth, very soon the Lord God replenished St. John’s losses a hundredfold, while the latter continued to give out the most abundant charity to the poor. To entertain doubt or disbelief in such cases is the same as to assert that God is either miserly or forgetful; but such opinions belong to the iniquitous and the godless; they should be totally rejected by us.





St. Amateus the desert-dweller was in his own time like a mirror for all those who understand God’s providence incorrectly, reject it, or blaspheme against it. After having labored in a monastery for thirty years, Amateus went off into the desert, where he lived on a chosen rock in great abstinence. Every three days one of the monastic brothers brought him a loaf of bread and a cup of water – this was his only sustenance. Such abstinence was not pleasing to the devil: and so a raven flew up, overturned the cup of water with his feet, snatched up the loaf of bread in his beak and flew away. Thus the monastic was deprived of 3 days’ worth of sustenance. How did the righteous man take this occurrence? Perhaps he swore at the raven, or uttered blasphemous words at God’s Providence, or began to curse the demon’s wiles? Not at all! It is we who act thusly in such cases, while he, lifting his hands and his mind to heaven, declared: “I thank Thee, my Lord God, that by Thy holy will Thou wast pleased to retain me in a more prolonged period of fasting. I know that this will be of greater advantage to me in the future, for nothing in the world happens without Thy Providence, and not even a single leaf will fall from the tree without it.” Yet we, sinners, think that the destruction of homes by fire, the drowning of ships, the loss of property, and all personal affronts take place while God’s Providence sleeps or does not keep watch, – in other words, we do not believe in God’s Providence. Even the pagans knew better than we do, for the intelligent ones among them reasoned that everything in the world occurs not by the will of man, nor by blind chance. In fact, everything comes from God, according to His just Providence: so why are we full of indignation and often even protest against it?





Countless examples and images bring us to a realization of the omnipotence of God’s Providence. Nevertheless, we have so little hope in this Providence! If our vessels, caskets, chests, and granaries are not overflowing with all kinds of goods, then our spirit fails; but when our bags are full, when our pockets are bulging with money, then we have hope. O, how blind we are! True hope in God is when we, finding ourselves in great penury, deprivation, and poverty, do not fall into despair, but patiently overcome all our tribulations, for the more suffering we endure, the greater glory and crowns are prepared for us. The ancients had a memorable saying:”If only we did what we should, then God would do for us what we want.” Blessed Jerome, explaining this principle, said: “May man be what he is destined to be, and immediately the One Who created everything will send him everything.” Blessed Augustine rightly exclaims: “O, my God! You have so much concern for a single person, as though You had to take care of only him alone: as much for all, as for each one.” And St. Gregory says: “God takes care of each person individually as much as of everyone together, and concerns Himself over everyone as though over a single person.” Thus God’s Providence takes care of thee, brother, just as though He had no other concerns. The great number of people in God’s care neither awes, nor burdens God’s Providence; for Him the care of a single person is the same as the care of countless millions of people. Just as before God took care of Noah and his family, or of the single Adam in paradise, so now God’s Providence takes equal care of all.



All misfortunes and disasters take place by the will of God





Everything in the world, even seemingly evil things (except for sin), occurs by the will of God. Theologians explain it in the following manner. The origin of evil is sin. Each sin contains (1) the cause that led to it and (2) its inevitable consequence – correction through punishment. The cause of sin is the deceit and willfulness of the vain sinner, while the punishments (both correction and execution), being the bitter consequences of their cause, occur by the will of God, and are not the cause of sin, but represent its correction or destruction. Thus, if from the concept of sin we eliminate its cause – deceit and willfulness, then there will not be a single one of its bitter or evil consequences that does not occur by the will of God or is displeasing to Him. Just like the sinful misfortunes of an individual, so the earthly, so-called natural, disasters, such as: famine, drought, plagues, etc., which often bear no direct relation to individual sin, occur by the will of God. Therefore, all human disasters and misfortunes positively occur by the will of God for the sake of achieving the righteous goals of God’s Providence; sin alone is contrary to God (just as evil is contrary to good, or deceit is contrary to truth), but is allowed by God in order not to violate the freedom of man’s will.





Many are deceived, believing in their ignorance that only the evil occurring from natural causes, to wit: floods, earthquakes, crop failures, disastrous atmospheric manifestations, epidemics, unexpected death, etc., – occur by the will of God, for often such misfortunes have no direct relation to sins. But evil deeds, occurring from unlawful human designs, from falsehood, such as: offensive words, mockery, insult, deceit, counterfeiting, abductions, theft, murder, etc. – occur, in the view of these people, independently of the will of God and His Providence, but exclusively due to human malice and the depraved human will, which of its own accord causes all manner of evil for its neighbors. However, such views are unworthy of a Christian.





The subject of which we now speak can be best explained by means of an example. A certain person, intending to deprive his neighbor of all of latter’s property, and wishing to fulfill his evil intention secretly, creeps unnoticed into the neighbor’s house, places lighted fuel under the building, and leaves the house just as surreptitiously. Soon afterwards a fire starts; the flames grow, the wind spreads the fire to other buildings; people run from all sides to extinguish the flames and protect adjacent buildings from the fire. The arsonist also runs up together with the other people, as though to put out the fire, but he has a different intent: under cover of the fire alarm, he takes valuables out of the burning building as though to save them, but in reality he steals them for himself and hides them. Although all these actions of the arsonist represent the direct cause of the owner’s bankruptcy and loss of property, but examined by themselves, without any relation to the arsonist’s evil intent, they appear no different from so-called natural disasters. They stem from God: just as God allows thunder to kill a man, or lighting to ignite a house or a growing tree, a hurricane to sweep away a field of haystacks, so does He control the arsonist: the latter can neither enter the house, nor go out of it, nor ignite the fire without God’s allowance. Moreover, the actions themselves are indifferent – neither evil, nor good, because they can lead to evil just as equally as to good, for God could have prevented their being committed if He so wished. However, the Lord did not impede the committal of the evil intent, but allowed it according to His just judgment. The reasons for such allowance will be explained below.





If God is not and cannot be the source of our moral fall (which alone is genuine evil), then it is quite true that all misfortunes occurring from secondary causes, be they rational or irrational, and occurring no matter how, all occur by the will of God, are sent by His mighty hand, at His discretion, and by His providence. Often God’s judgment uses iniquitous kings and evil princes as His tools for teaching patience to the righteous and chastising the unrighteous for their crimes and misdeeds. Here is an example: through the prophet Isaiah God threatens the depraved Israeli people with destruction and with the devastation of Palestine through the Assyrians, clearly demonstrating that it is not the will of the Assyrian king, but rather His holy will that is being fulfilled by the Assyrians. God punishes the Israelis with the divine instrument of His wrath and indignation at their iniquities and, consequently, attributes this punishment to Himself. We should regard in equal manner all the other righteous chastisements that are allowed by God for our misdeeds. During the siege of Jerusalem, the Roman Emperor Titus, personally walking around the walls and seeing the ditches filled with corpses, sighed heavily, and raising his eyes and hands to heaven, cried out: “Merciful God! This is not my doing!”





We are asked: if it is true that all misfortunes are sent to us by the will of God, then are we not trying to withstand His holy will in vain? Is it not useless for us to take medicines when we are ill? Why should we lead out armed hosts against an attacking enemy? Here is my reply to the inquirers: it is clear that destructive wars and other woes happen not without God’s will, but it does not follow that we should not arm ourselves against the enemy or not try to treat our illnesses, regarding such actions as opposition to the will of God. For example, if we fall prey to some illness, there is no doubt that such was God’s will. However, the sick person does not know God’s intention in regard to the duration of his illness, and for this reason he is not forbidden to use various medicinal means to return to health or at least to ease the illness. And only if the continuous use of many medications does not result in a cure, the sick person may be sure that such is God’s will for him to endure a protracted illness. Similarly, if a fire starts up and cannot be extinguished by the combined efforts of the people and the fire brigade, then it is clear that God’s judgment has decided not only to have the building burned, but to have it burn down completely, in order to test the patience of God’s friends or to punish His enemies. We should look upon all other events in our life in a similar manner.





“Look, beloved brethren, – instructs us the blessed Augustine, – never say: this has been done to me by the devil, or this misfortune befell me through the perfidious enemy, but attribute to God all that happens to you, both good and bad, knowing that the devil cannot do anything to you if the Mighty God, Who has power over life and death, does not allow him to do something to you for your chastisement or rectification. God allows punishment for the iniquitous, who consciously act against their conscience, openly reject truth, etc., while rectification is allowed for sons who have sinned – ‘for the Lord scourgeth every son whom He receiveth’ (Hebrews 12:6). And you, too, should not expect to remain without punishment, unless you wish to be deprived of the heavenly inheritance.”





When King David was escaping from his insubordinate son Absalom, who had rebelled against him, a certain Semeus from the clan of King Saul ran out in front of David and began reviling Him most cruelty for Saul’s death. Seeing such vilification of David, his military commanders wanted to kill Semeus, but the king, who perceived God’s will in this revilement of himself, said to his attendants: “Leave him be, let him abuse me, for the Lord had commanded him to revile David.” Semeus naturally sinned grievously in cursing David, because although God used him as a tool of revilement, He was not the cause of Semeus’ vile will; He only wisely used it to punish David. Thus each one of us should also look upon the attacks and curses of evil people upon us in a manner like unto David, for the merciful God uses their willfulness to either instruct the innocent or chastise the guilty.





In Constantinople the Greek Queen Irene, who had been dethroned by a despicable slave, turned to God with the following words: “I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast put me, Thy unworthy servant, on the royal throne; but since Thou hast also allowed me to be deprived of my throne, I believe it to be in consequence of my sins; may Thy will be done in me! In all bad and good things may the name of the Lord be blessed.” It is true that no one can harm us, except in that in which we harm ourselves. For this reason the blessed Augustine rightly said: “Believe in the Lord God without any reservation and give yourself over to Him completely: then He will not reject you and will not allow any harm to come to you.” Everyone should know this precept and firmly keep the following in mind: nothing harmful can happen to us without the will or allowance of God: neither the devil, nor any individual can harm us if God does not allow it. We should firmly believe that even though the direst misfortunes befall us by God’s command, they are sent from the most merciful Father for our benefit, for our instruction or rectification, for the sake of our misdeeds and sins. Consequently, no one else, except we ourselves, can harm us.

God allows misfortunes and sins for the good of man



Since neither the devil, nor any person can do evil to another without God’s allowance of it, let us examine the following: what God allows, how He allows it, and for what reason does this allowance come about?





We must differentiate between two kinds of allowed evils. The first kind of evil, comprising various misfortunes, burdens, illnesses, insults or dishonor (impoverishment, imprisonment, banishment, exile), death – all of this cannot even be called evil in the strict sense of the word, but only a bitter medicine sent to us by God for our spiritual healing. The second kind of evil, in the exact meaning of the word, is represented by our sins, our transgression of God’s commandments. God allows the first kind of evil in accordance with His wishes, or to punish the wicked, or as a means of rectification for faithful sons and daughters. Concerning the second kind of evil, i.e. sins, one cannot say that God wishes them to be committed, but only tolerates them. Everything that really exists in the world, is present in it by the wish and word of God, by Whose will “all things were made, and without Him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).





Sin, however, is not something real, but only an illusory antithesis to genuine being. Sin exists as a result of the imperfection, deceit, and guile of the rational and free, but insubordinate beings created by God; for this reason sin originally occurred and continues to occur against the will of God and not from God, yet by His tolerance. The reason for the tolerance of sin is hidden for the time being within the mystery of God’s absolute and perfect rule over the world, or His Providence. God has absolute knowledge of the future, and He can easily not allow the occurrence of the sinning that is abominable to Him, but He tolerates it in order to produce good out of evil and justice out of injustice for the sake of teaching and rectifying people, so that they would see the consequences of sin both for the sinner and for those around him, and for society. This is what distinguishes God’s tolerance from human tolerance, which cannot by human means avert and curtail evil in its inception, even though the committing of it would be undesirable. On the contrary, in God we see both His power to prevent or curtail the execution of an evil intent, and at the same time we see His will, allowing one or another evil to be committed. This raises the following question: why does God wish to tolerate the committing of sin, or what is God’s motivation in allowing people to sin?





God’s infinite goodness would never have allowed such iniquities to exist on earth, were it not able to produce the greatest good from them and turn into salvation all that had been done with evil intent. God allowed the escalation of brotherly envy against the innocent Joseph, but allowed it for what good reason? – was it not to deliver from a death from hunger not only his parents, brothers, and relatives, but all of Egypt? God allowed the iniquitous Saul to continuously offend the meek David, but was it not for the benefit of David himself, whose descendant was Christ our Saviour? God allowed the unjustly accused prophet Daniel to be thrown into a den with frenzied lions, but for what? – in order to raise him and his friends to the pinnacle of glory and grandeur. But why should I speak of numerous instances in Old Testament history, when by God’s tolerance the envious high priests, Pharisees, and Jewish elders presented for crucifixion the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, and this tolerance turned into salvation for all mankind. Thus, out of each instance of tolerance arise and become revealed to us the greatest riches of God’s glory and His benevolence to each individual and all mankind. Each instance reveals to us God’s goodness and mercy, His munificence, omnipotence, and majesty, His foresight and Providence. In each instance His supreme wisdom and truth enlighten us in ways unknown to us, and thus encourage many attentive people to return to the path of virtue and to multiply their laborious yet glorious spiritual feats.





O, how wondrously and majestically does Divine providence reveal itself in its daily tolerance! It is not difficult to produce good from good, but to turn evil into good is quite amazing. There is a saying that “anyone can be a helmsman on a calm sea.” It is not such a great matter to direct the ship towards harbor when the wind is favorable, the ship is strong, the sea is calm, the sailors know their business, and the harbor is already in view. But it is quite a different matter when a storm stirs up the sea, the ship is damaged, the waves pour noisily onto the deck and inside the ship, or when the night is dark and nothing can be seen, pirates surround the ship, the crew is small and poorly armed, and in spite of all, the captain has the ship under such masterful command, that he escapes danger without any damage – that is truly amazing, and in this case the actions of the ship’s captain have shown his wisdom and his ability to steer the ship. We see a similar situation in God’s rule over the world: some things which are allowed by God’s will and which seem to us not to lead to any good, God brings to the best possible end through His indescribable wisdom and truth. By tolerating illicit actions and harmful adventures, God sometimes turns malefactors into His honorable friends. By God’s Providence, which directs everything towards the best possible end, wicked intents against a person are often turned to the latter’s advantage; the attacks and insults made against someone often increase his inner strength. The evildoers’ greatest iniquities confirm many people in righteousness and virtue, and save them from perdition. Many people already seem to be completely immersed in the abyss of perdition, yet in reality it turns out that this is their way to salvation.





For Joseph his fetters and imprisonment served as a precursor to honors and the greatest glory; his brothers’ envy brought him greater benefit than the goodwill of the entire world; Saul’s malice procured for David the royal crown; the lions’ den led Daniel to greater glory and honor than that of earthly kings; from the cross Christ, together with the repentant thief, went straight into heaven, while from the Mount of Olives He ascended into heaven and sat on the right hand of God the Father.





In God’s allowance both good and evil wills work for God, and no matter their original intent, in the final analysis everything works towards the attainment of the best possible goals.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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