Invisible Footprints: Isn't God supposed to make life easy and cool?

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Isn't God supposed to make life easy and cool?

Isn't going to church and worshipping God supposed to make everything easy and cool?

Apparently not. I'm perhaps echoing the sentiments of many bloggers out there, who seem unfulfilled by church-going. Who desperately tries to find 'home' in churches, who are deeply affected by people who are fake but appear in church all the time, who wonder what in the world is going on with their lives.

I'll say that perhaps if feelings such as these follow you wherever you go, it's good (im not crazy/stupid). It probably means that many are genuine in their search for God, trying to use hope and faith to seek Him. Obviously we all hope we would be able to go to a church we are comfortable with and we step into church with faith, believing God has set the right path for us. But the emptiness sets in, the feeling of devoid in the people around you sets in, the hypocrisy of the congregation sets in.

This i believe is implanted by none other than the Devil himself. The eternal liar and the father of lies. The Devil is cunning in all its schemes. He takes advantage of your desperations of looking for a church, the emptiness you feel inside. He creates negativity in your mind and your thinking about the church. He takes advantage of our confusions, and fused them with lies. Although i must not attribute everything to the Devil, i believe, if you were genuine about going to church you WILL face temptations not to go, you WILL meet people you wished you hadn't known.

It is simply illogical that the path to the Kingdom of God would be a smooth one, for why would Satan allow you to get to know God better so easily? Why would he not tempt you? Why would he not try to confuse you? Why would he not try to make you feel empty? Why would he, out of all the perils he can bring to you, not find something to inflict upon you and hinder you from experiencing the great joy of going to church? I might add that the decay of churches of the world is not something many Christians themselves would freely admit. We have to pray harder than ever for our churches to stay together, to stay in the Light and to preach the word.

If we weren't really genuine (not going for the sake of going, or to boast, or to feel good, or to give yourself a chance to sin since God would forgive my sins when i ask him to) about going to church and building relationships with God, treating church like a Sunday morning activity, that is all we're ever going to get. Appointments in church but nothing much more than that. Life in church would be easy and cool, but unfulfilling.

Bear in mind that life as a Christian is not easy. If we were earnestly seeking God, life would be hell. Satan would present to you hell at its highest temperatures. If we were walking in line with the world, there is no need for Satan to make life a living hell because we've got an eternity of hell to look forward to anyway.

So let me reiterate that it's normal for life to be hell. You just have to stand firm, hold strongly and deflect all the negativities about the church from your mind. If you still consciously have doubts, don't give up, just try another church and pray harder. God listens. And yes, God does make life easy and cool, but we often underestimate the existence of Satan and how he can manipulate us just like he did with Eve (and Adam) and make life hell, confusing, depressing and empty.