Does God care if we are happy?

post #261 of 268

12/19/10 at 7:49pm

redhen
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Louieandthecrew

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoyoteMagic

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Originally Posted by Robo

Ephesians 3

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God wants us to be happy, but we suffer for our own good. God did not create suffering or pain. He created free choice so that we may expeirience real love. When he gave us free choice we chose suffering. God created us to be happy, as C.S. Lewis said: God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world He is saying that God knows there is pain and that it will shape us into better people. The only way we can expeirience real love and real happiness is by expeiriencing pain. I hope this will help you.

Who chose?! surely it wasn't me. I would have never chose to have gone through the suffering I have. Heck, I wouldn't want anyone to go through the suffering I have been through. With this you are saying, a child chooses to be abused, a woman chooses to be raped, a man choose to for his family to die. So much for a merciful god

You chose suffering by not choosing Jesus. This is what she/he is trying to say.

Please, don't go off on me here, but you can PM me if you'd like. I've really liked browsing through this thread.

Louie..Louie..Louie...
No..no ..no! Thats not correct or a very kind thing to say. Just my opinion. sad

I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when i will give my heart. ~ Jack Nicholson

Look! A ladder!! Maybe it leads to heaven, or a sandwich...

post #262 of 268

12/19/10 at 7:58pm

HeatherLynn

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They are right. Its not true. Gods people suffer just as much as any other. I don't know that any of us will ever understand it all. I believe that not all suffering comes from the hand of God though and because he gave us free will there will always be suffering because mankind seem to be eternally cruel. BUT I also believe that sometimes suffering can be a means to teach or help us grow. I don't really believe that suffering is meant to be a punishment. Sometimes it is just the result of nature. If we ask for grace and peace and healing God will help us. That does not mean he will always take it away but I really believe if we ask for his will and in faith our hearts desires will be answered. yes sometimes the answer is no but its still an answer. I think if we call on him in faith and ask him for grace and peace he will never refuse us.

I don't understand why God allows so much suffering to the innocent but I do believe he suffers with them. God has presented himself to us as a parent. His end goal for us is never evil but he also lets us go through the hard times so we can grow. I am a parent and sometimes I will cry as I watch something hard my children must go through but I let them because I know it is for their good. I have a future planned for them and everything I do is so they will have that future. I think God does the same for us. So yea he wants us to be happy but I think he also wants us to grow and learn. He allows the balance of good and bad. He lets us make mistakes and wrong choices. He doesn't force his will on us but waits for us to ask him for what we need. Thats what i think anyway.

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post #263 of 268

12/19/10 at 8:11pm

Lorije1

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Quote:

Originally Posted by AngieChick

IMO - an awful lot of very bad things happen to innocent people (including newborns on up) for me to believe that there is a god who cares if people are happy. There are horrendous things that happen to people, and they are no less "special" then anyone who bad things don't happen to.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion and beliefs, these are just my thoughts on the subject.

I had to make up my mind about this recently. As a survivor of extensive childhood abuse I have come to realize people make horrendous decisions. God didn't molest me as a child, a man made that decision on his very own.
Like this (yes there are some loopholes,but just read it for what it is wink )
You are at your child's baseball game. The pitcher for the other team is wild - wild pitches, hitting kids etc. You know when your child gets up to bat there is a chance they will be hit, even injured. But they are at the mercy of the coach's decisions - . You have the power to walk out on the field and yank your child out of the batter's box....but you don't because you agreed to let the decisions be made on the field and they are responsible for the outcomes of their choices. When your child DOES get hit and maybe even injured - you are hurt, you comfort them and you are there for them.

Sorry - I'm not a theologian so that may not make sense to anyone but me big_smile

Ultimately, I think God puts our obedience above our happiness. In our disobedience we sow our own seeds of misery, in obedience we can find peace and joy (deeper than happy in my opinion)

"Mom" to 2 Yellow Labs - Buford, 14yrs and Rio, 2 yrs; Rags - mutt from the pound; 28yr old horse - Skye, 22mth old gelding - Buddy; 8 cats - Leroy, Boots, Lil, Diva, Baka, Dot, Elmo and PITA; 2 Barred Rocks , 2 Brahmas (1 dark, 1 buff) , 2 Golden Comets, 2 RIRs, 2 EEs 2 Black Jersey Giants 2 Buff Orps ; foster mom to horses seized and / or surrendered; Friend to Kubota (RIP sweet roo)

post #264 of 268

12/19/10 at 8:18pm

El Naked Neck

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god is very merciful 2 peter 3;9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Naked Neck

an illustration. Imagine that a teacher is telling his students how to solve a difficult problem. A clever but rebellious student claims that the teachers way of solving the problem is wrong. Implying that the teacher is not capable, this rebel insists that he knows a much better way to solve the problem. Some students think that he is right, and they also become rebellious. What should the teacher do? If he throws the rebels out of the class, what will be the effect on the other students? Will they not believe that their fellow student and those who joined him are right? All the other students in the class might lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem.

Jehovah has done something similar to what the teacher does. Remember that the rebels in Eden were not the only ones involved. Millions of angels were watching. (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10) How Jehovah handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels and eventually all intelligent creation. So, what has Jehovah done? He has allowed Satan to show how he would rule mankind. God has also allowed humans to govern themselves under Satans guidance.

The teacher in our illustration knows that the rebel and the students on his side are wrong. But he also knows that allowing them the opportunity to try to prove their point will benefit the whole class. When the rebels fail, all honest students will see that the teacher is the only one qualified to lead the class. They will understand why the teacher thereafter removes any rebels from the class. Similarly, Jehovah knows that all honesthearted humans and angels will benefit from seeing that Satan and his fellow rebels have failed and that humans cannot govern themselves. Like Jeremiah of old, they will learn this vital truth: I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.Jeremiah 10:23

post #265 of 268

12/19/10 at 8:27pm

dacjohns
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Some of you all are heading south again.

Please don't twist things around and let's get back to the positive aspect of the thread.

You might not be able to keep a bird from landing on your head but you can keep it from building a nest.

"My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."

post #266 of 268

12/19/10 at 8:28pm

CoyoteMagic
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Quote:

Originally Posted by El Naked Neck

god is very merciful 2 peter 3;9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.

With me? I gave up on your so called god a long time ago.

Let's play this game like ya'll do

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Plain as it is written on the page

Through time .. and space .. each faith .. and race.. let there be peace! http://www.peaceful-spirit.org/
We cannot tolerate a world in which one in three women is a victim of domestic violence. Speak Out so it stops

post #267 of 268

12/19/10 at 8:33pm

redhen
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Ouch..suffer little children... sad
Thats kinda messed up. He wanted children to suffer?

I prefer an ugly truth to a pretty lie. If someone is telling me the truth that is when i will give my heart. ~ Jack Nicholson

Look! A ladder!! Maybe it leads to heaven, or a sandwich...

post #268 of 268

12/19/10 at 8:35pm

speckledhen
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Folks, we're done here. Sorry, CityGirlintheCountry, but some folks just can't walk on by, apparently.

BTW, "suffer" in the context means "allow".