I have had multiple conversations and read many things
the past few days that have led to my thoughts this morning…
From the sports world it has generated from the constant
talk about what coaches are on the “chopping block”; what ones are good
coaches; etc. I love how often fans assume that the players on the court/field
are doing what the coach told them… (from experience I can tell you they often
do not.) Or better yet when a team is struggling to score how it is the coach’s
fault. Although that may be true at times, most often remember that a coach
cannot go out onto the court and take the shots for the players; he cannot go
up to bat and take the swings for the players; he cannot catch the football… I
think you get my point. I have seen a basketball game where the team shot 1 for
16 from the field and fans said they had a bad coach – no, the players simply
stunk it up that day!
In other areas I continually hear people questioning the
goodness or the existence of God based upon what they see in people. The
typical questions like how a good God could allow pain and suffering. The
typical responses that sense things are not like we want them, there must not
be a God.
This is just a short blog so I will not go into a full
discourse here but I do want to take a moment to defend not only my God’s existence
but also His goodness.
[Romans 1:20] tells us that nature itself is a witness to
God’s existence. The complexities of the universe, of man, etc. scream of
design not chance. The realities of things like communication and personality
cannot be explained by the physical. The simple fact that people question “goodness”
is an indicator of something beyond the mere physical world.
As for God’s goodness… Yes I agree we live in a painful,
screwed up world. Yet I do not blame the “Coach” for that. The players are the
ones that have stunk it up. The question of God’s goodness cannot be answered
via religion, as that simply makes Him out to be the bad guy that we are trying
to appease. True Christianity gives the only true loving response to this
problem. A God that loves us so much that He intervened in the mess we made to
provide us an eternal way out of it.
God demonstrates His love toward us in that (in spite of
how horribly we have played the game) while we were yet sinners Christ died for
us (entered the game as a Substitute.) [Romans 5:8]
You still may say that it would be more loving for Him to
simply change the game; yet I happen to be thankful that He has given me
choices and allowed me to live, not just be His machine. I love getting the
opportunity now as His child (His player) to try to do what He says out on the
court… so yes I will use His Playbook as my guide.
Remember a simple truth: Life and God are not synonyms! I
agree that life is not always “good” but I am thankful for a God that is good
and there for me in spite of life!
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