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? 

Do not push that button!

 

Be honest: how many of you want to push that big red button that says, “Do Not Push?”  Do you want to do it out of curiosity’s sake?  What does it do?  Or just to be rebellious? "No one can tell me what to do!"  Do you ever stop to consider why someone does not want that button pushed, or are you only thinking of yourself?  What if you disobeyed the sign and someone got hurt?  Would you even care as long as you were not the one injured?  What if someone you love would be the victim on the other end of that mysterious button?  I hope that would deter you. 

 

Now let me add a few more words: “Do Not Push Under Penalty of the Law.”  Still feeling the need to satisfy your curiosity or do the prospects of a fine or jail time cause you to walk away?  I know there are some out there that think the risk would be worth it.  After all, what if you pushed it and whistles went off, confetti fell from the sky, and some man in a three-piece suit came running out with a check for $10,000,000?  Do you really believe there is going to be a reward for breaking the rules?  Maybe you will launch a rocket and you’ll get to see an exciting show.  Who cares if someone gets hurt or killed?  Quite frankly, the possibilities are endless, and that’s why you are just itching to push that button to see what happens.

Now let me change the words again: “Do Not Push or You Will go to Hell.”  You still want to do it, don’t you?  Curiosity can have a powerful influence, and rebellion is an even bigger encouragement to do not do as you are told.  Maybe it is just a suggestion, and pushing a pointless button will not really send you to Hell.  There really are no consequences because all you have to do is say you are sorry, and all will be forgiven, right?  Or maybe some Man (Jesus) you never bothered getting to know already paid the debt for your sins so why not go ahead and do whatever you want?  There really is no point in trying to figure out why the rule is there in the first place.  Or any of the others.  “Do not walk on the grass?”  “Do not touch the wet paint?”  Silliness!  “Do not commit adultery?  Do not lie or steal?”  A bunch of archaic rules meant to make life boring!

But I am here to tell you that the rules were all put there for a reason, not to just keep you oppressed!  I am not speaking of the laws of Moses, for even the apostle Paul states that the old laws bring death.  I am referring to the laws of Jesus Christ.  The Lord wants us to follow His rules so that we avoid Hell because He wishes that none would perish in Hell, but live with Him for all eternity, it is why He died such a brutal death on the cross.  When you realize His rules are there to protect you from torment in Hell, it should make you want to follow them.  They are there to protect you from hurting others as well as yourself, not restrict your fun!  God is holy and cannot abide with unholy sin, therefore, we must be clean to live with Him forever. 

If you really consider the rules, you can see why Jesus says not to do certain things, they all cause others pain.  Now if we follow the fruits of the spirit (see below) they will bring others joy!  Wouldn’t you rather be a bringer of happiness than of destruction?  Therefore, think twice before pushing that button!       

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-25