Is God Still Good Even When There Isn't a Pretty Sunset??
Greetings,
So, it's been about five months since I've sat down and typed my thoughts on current events into my laptop. But, here I am and here you are. Welcome. Thank you for joining me today. This is something I've been working on for a little while and finally put the finishing touches on it, so here it is.
Just for kicks, here's a DISCLAIMER: If you know me in person and/or have read any of my previous blog posts, you might know that I am one to criticize. Not in a way that I feel is hurtful to others, (although it usually comes across that way) but more in a way that seeks justice and truth, even if it's ugly. So if you are someone who posts pictures like the ones I will describe in a minute, please know that I am not making fun of you (that much.) I would honestly like to see you keep capturing and sharing beautiful sunsets for many years to come.
So, this is an interesting subject that my brother pointed out to me a few years/months ago. I don't remember when it was.
We were driving down a road in Franklin in the evening and he said, "You know how all those girls post pictures on Instagram & Facebook of a sunset and caption them with 'God is so good! He's such an amazing artist.' or 'He did this for me!'?" Or something like that. And I was all, "Yeah. What about them?" And he went, "I wonder if they think that God is good even when there isn't a pretty sunset. Like, they should post a picture of their smashed in car door or their dog that just died and caption it with, 'Look what happened to me! God is just so good.'"
Once I had a good laugh, I realized that what he was saying was painfully true.
So I thought of a few questions.
First, I asked: Is God doing something good when he "paints" us a pretty sunset/sunrise/anything in nature that is beautiful? YES! With flying colors. (literally) God does some pretty great things here on earth. I believe that He blesses us in many different ways, all of which we do not deserve. God didn't have to make a pretty planet for us to live on, but He chose to do so as a way of giving us just a glimpse of how amazing and powerful and glorious He is. So yeah, pretty sunsets are great and God definitely created them.
Then I wondered: Is God still good even when there isn't a pretty sunset? Like, what if it was raining and I got stuck downtown due to flash flooding? You might be thinking, "Of course God would still be good, Kaylee! What kind of question is that?" To which I would commend you, because the question is meant to be a little on the silly side. In this particular case, the lack of the pretty sunset is more than just the lack of a pretty sunset. It is everything that goes wrong in our lives. It's everything that happens to us that sucks.
So now, my reevaluated question is this: It God still good even when bad things happen? It's: If my mom dies, is God still good? If I fail my math class and have to repeat sophomore year, is God still good? If my house burns down while my family is out of town and we loose everything that we own, is God still good?
Even for things on a greater scale, things outside of our personal lives, the question still stands. Things like natural disasters or terrorist attacks or unfortunate occurrences that concern politics. Is God still good when these things happen?
You might answer "yes" to all of these questions right away, or you might be inclined to answer "no." You might not even know God. You might think He hates you and that good things in the world only happen by chance. That's okay. It's not true, but it's okay. I think this question is a fair one to ask.
I believe the answer is yes. Even when bad, horrible, awful, disastrous things happen, God is still good. His greatness is not determined by the things that happen on the earth, but rather by what He has already done for us, both on earth and in Heaven.
Here's why: This world is not that important. Yes, God created it and it is good. And yes, as Christians, we have a mission: to spread the Gospel like wildfire and make disciples of Jesus. Matthew 28:19 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
But honestly, the stuff that happens here is very insignificant compared to eternity.
If my mom dies, I will be devastated. If anyone I love dies, I will be devastated. It's okay to be sad and upset about things that happen, but ultimately, it doesn't matter. My mom is a believer and I have no doubt in my mind that she will be with Jesus when she dies. Even now, while she is alive and healthy, I can rest easy knowing that that's where she'll be if something were to happen to her.
If my house burns down and I loose everything I own, (this is actually one of my greatest fears ever in the whole world) God will still be good. All I need is Him, and He can't be destroyed by a fire (or anything, for that matter.) Even if I loose all of my journals that document my early, angst-filled teenage years, I will be okay.
In the words of sixteen year old me, "None of the things of this life matter. One day, I'll be in Heaven with the Lord and this life will seem like just a pit stop at a gas station on a road trip to an amazing destination. Everything is in God's control and I am merely a character in His grand story."
God sent His Son to die our death on earth so that we can live with Him forever in Heaven. Nothing that happens, whether it be something awesome, like a pretty sunset, or something horrible, like hundreds of people loosing their lives in the event of a terrorist attack, can change that fact.
So yes, God is good, even when there isn't a pretty sunset.
Thanks for reading, till next time,