If we Only Love God When He Answers our Prayers, we are Missing the Point

I originally wrote this on February 5, 2022, but due to a conversation with my husband Mel today, I was inspired to post it again.

When we go through difficult times, such as the death of a loved one or an illness, it is easy to fall into the trap of being angry with God because He did not answer our prayers the way we expected Him to.  If we only love God when He answers our prayers, we are missing the point of what it truly means to be a Christian. There is an old saying that states God will always answer your prayers; sometimes it is "yes," sometimes it is "no," other times it is "wait."  This is a basic concept, but still true.  What is most important to remember is that God will only answer according to what is best for us, according to His perfect will, not ours.  I know it sometimes takes more faith to believe than our bruised and wounded hearts can muster, but it is true, nonetheless. If all we have is faith the size of a mustard seed to believe, it is enough (see Matthew 17:20). 

1 John 4:19, sums up all I will to say so very simply, "We love Him, because He first loved us." Combined with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life," we really need no other reason to love and serve God! 

We love Him because only He created the universe and all that is in it, and only He is worthy of all power and praise. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11 & And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Revelation 5:9 & 12 

I know that the simplest of ideas can become very complicated when we are suffering.  We make it so by our unbelief. We overcomplicate God's love because we cannot see around our own hurt. The deeper and fresher the pain, the harder it is to remember that God's love is enough to sustain us.  

Bad things happen because Adam and Eve chose their own selfish wants over fellowship with their Creator (see Genesis 3).  We live in a fallen world because God chose to give us free will.  Adam and Eve betrayed this gift and chose to listen to the serpent’s lies rather than God’s warnings simply because the serpent’s lies were more appealing than God’s Truth.  This is why we live in a world full of death and tragedy, not because God is cruel, but because man chose to alienate us from God by using his free will out of the desire of wanting to be like God.  Humans do not want fellowship with God, nor do they want His advice, protection, or correction, they want to be gods!  They want to be independent.  They want to use their free will to do whatever they so please, then cry out, “God save me,” when it’s convenient.  Or curse at God even though they have made no effort to live a holy life and only pray when they want something. Therefore, “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45) not because He is cruel, but because man chose to defy God.  Man caused this fallen world and wel all suffer because of it. 

Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." He honestly tells His disciples they, and us too, we will all have hard times.  But He gives us the good news that we can find perfect peace in Him, and that He has overcome the world! In the light of eternity, this life won't matter much.  What matters is that Jesus freely died for our sins.  When we make Jesus the Lord of all our actions and choose to walk down paths of righteousness, we can live with Him eternally in Paradise. Amen, that is more than enough!

People who believe God will prevent bad things from happening end up hating God.  Christians can walk around with joy in their hearts, in spite of tragic circumstances because we have a hope of eternal happiness. For no matter what “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)   We know God grieves with us and does not intend for bad things to happen.  Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) states, “'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  Does that mean God does not have any control? No, this means we will never fully know why things are allowed to happen because there is a war going on we cannot comprehend.  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

My favorite verse is 1 Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." This means that we cannot understand why things happen as they do because we cannot see the big, eternal picture, but when we get to heaven, it will all be crystal clear.  This senseless world will make sense.

My message s brief today, but just a reminder to you, as well as to myself, that loving God only when things go our way is not truly loving the Lord. Remember that God does not stop loving you when you do not do what He expects. Romans 5:8 says, " that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Yes, our actions can absolutely keep us out of the kingdom of Heaven (see Galatians 5:16-21 & Revelation 21:8), but God's love for us will never wane.  It is His profound love that sets rules because He does not want any of to go to Hell (The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9)  Romans 8:38-39 reminds us "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Since God will not stop loving us, how dare we be so arrogant as to say we will stop loving or serving Him when we face loss, illness, or other tragedy?