Today, just before our study session began, one of the students who attends my Interpersonal Communication study session asked me if he could ask a question. He seemed hesitant to ask. I told him, "Sure, go ahead." I expected the question to be about what we are studying or what will be on the upcoming exam.
His first question shocked me a little. He asked, "How long have you been going to church?" I told him I was raised attending church. He asked for clarification about that (he is originally from Peru and language is sometimes a barrier.) and so I told him that I had been brought up attending church, my parents had attended church from an early age and that my grandfather had been a minister. This seemed to give him the courage to continue.
His next question was "Why do you think so many people only turn to God when they are in trouble?" I gave him my answer but have been pondering the question ever since.
I pose this question to those who read my blog, "Why does it seem that people only turn to God when they are in trouble and need help?"
Please answer and share your insight to this quandary. I would like to be able to help this student understand better and continue to have dialogue about Christ!
4 comments:
God is a God of Love, Mercy and Grace. People turn to God because they know he is real and certainly no one else can help like Jesus can. They come desparate and broken down but they only cling to Him til they feel better. My question is..Why do they leave Him once He has helped them? This is indeed a deep question...and now you have me deep in thought!
Jana, I don't know if you remember me or not. I attend Bro. White's church in Burbank.
I'm going to answer your friend's question by looking at the opposite. "Why do people turn their backs on God when things are going well and they don't need help?" I think if you look at the answer to that question, you'll see the answer to his original question.
The fallen nature of man, causes us to follow the course of Satan. Isaiah 14 gives us a glimpse of his nature:
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
It was Lucifer's pride that caused him to think he could become like the most High. And it is our human pride, that when things are going great, causes us to think we are capable of surviving without God in our lives.
For some it is only when their pride is crushed under the weight of trouble that they turned to God.
Sorry for such a lengthy response! I'm sure you can take this and expand it even further. Hope it helps!
Why do people turn to God?
In my short personal experiences the main reason I have found is that they have exhausted all other avenues of hope. Many have gone the whole route, counselors, Medical, emotional and spiritual only to come up just as empty as before they started. The woman with the issue of blood had spent ALL on doctors of every kind yet was none the better, her last hope was the man called Jesus. The blind men, the leprosy, the man at the pool, these all had tried or were trying to find the answer to their needs in their own way. They came in contact with Jesus who meet each of the many and varied needs.
This how I have looked at this question over the years.
Mervi
Well, I am no theologian, but I have an idea.
I think too many people look at God with a 'Vending Machine Mentality.' By that I mean that they put their 'quarters' of prayer in, and expect an immediate result. When you don't want anything from the 'Vending Machine' it makes it easy to forget that it's there. When you need something though, you know it will always be around. For some people, I also think that they don't want Him to have control of their lives, so they just come to Him on a case by case basis.
Post a Comment