Divine Distastes (#62 of 365+)

“And he could bear Israel's misery no longer” (Judges 10:16)

It seems that one of the most difficult questions asked of
Christians by non-believers is: Why doesn’t God do something about suffering? The short answer to that question is another question: What makes you say that he doesn’t? The suffering in this world is a result of mankind’s sin. God allowed Adam and Eve to have the freedom to choose and they made the one that brought death, decay, evil, and destruction into the world. This “curse” has been passed down to each generation and every person has shared in the guilt and suffering to some level. However, instead of abandoning us to our doom, God has gone to great lengths to restore paradise while continuing to allow free will. There are two unmistakable gifts from my Father’s compassionate heart that I will talk about in this post.

God has given the world his Son.

“God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him” (Romans 5:8 MSG)

“God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son” (Romans 8:32 MSG)

As Joni said, "God has a strong distaste for suffering… No one could ever accuse God of ‘sitting back and watching’ while people suffer. How could anyone look at the cross and say anything like that?"

God has given the world his Church.

An important document titled Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience was drafted last month by a gathering of Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians. Read it here. Sign it here. Their goal is to get one million signatures. The preamble takes up most of the first page and cites several examples of how Christians have given “compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering” for the past 2,000 years. It concludes, “Like those who have gone before us in the faith [we] are called to proclaim the Gospel of costly grace, to protect the intrinsic dignity of the human person and to stand for the common good. In being true to its own calling, the call to discipleship, the church through service to others can make a profound contribution to the public good”.

Lord, give me your heart of compassion for every soul I encounter. Help me to be your hands and feet in this world, and to be an encouragement to someone who desperately needs to know you. Amen.