Monday, August 4, 2014

Issue 393 Why God?: Helping themselves August 4, 2014

Why is it that God wants us to help ourselves?  God is all powerful, and yet he has us do all our own grunt work.  This is a question asked by many.  Well, I believe I know the reason, so let's discuss.

Why help ourselves:  God does not do our work for us.  He exists to guide us as the creator of us all.  In this effect he is like a parent who guides his children.  But that alone does not explain why we have to move to accomplish what we want from prayer or to accomplish what we want in everyday life.  The reason I believe is that we are also being tested as well.  By having us seek out the methods to accomplish what we want done, we prove our worth.  Hence why the ends do not justify the means.  The journey which is a part of this test is just as important for the sake of passing what tasks and hardships God lays before us.  While we are never truly alone, we also must be independent.  

Another perspective:  Another possibility is that God wants us not to have blind faith.  Would God be happy with people worshiping him like robots?  No of course not.  Robots are emotionless and lose heart.  Thus, there is no faith in blind faith.  Thomas Jefferson Said it best in the letter to his son: "Question with boldness, for surely God prefers inspired questions over blind faith."  In other parts of the Bible and even the Quran, God is negotiated with and even questioned by Jesus, Mohammad and even obscure members of God’s chosen like Honi the Circle maker.  So we can question or even negotiate with God, but how does this relate to helping ourselves?  It relates because by helping ourselves, we are exercising independent thought.  It demonstrates to God that we are capable of following his guidance, but at the same time showing that we are independent and able to decide how to follow that guidance.  Even not following that guidance is a test (but God will always try to lead us back on the right path).  Make no mistake, God is always with us in our hearts, we just don't always listen like typical children.


Conclusion:  We are children when it comes to God.  God wants to raise us good and proper for what limited time span we have here on Earth.  So we helping ourselves is proof that we think, feel and can act for ourselves even while following God.  This is how I see it, so how about you?  Do you see it in the same way?  Keep questioning because God wants our questions, not mindless drones.

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