by Abbie Long

Question: I am finding it hard to love a God who lets so many bad things happen to innocent children. My cousin was sexually abused by her father when she was a child. My sister lost her two-month-old baby. Just look around the world. Children are being killed for no reason and all of the sex trafficking of young girls is horrendous. I’ve tried to read books and talk to others about why this happens but I am still having a hard time. Can you help me understand?

Answer: There are some who believe there is actual proof of God. This ideology attempts to fill faith’s role in the process with definitive answers to questions about Him. There are others, including the point of view from which the following response is written, who believe there is no actual proof of God. This ideology does not attempt to fill faith’s role in the process with definitive answers to questions about Him. As a result, absolute resolution to your question should not be sought yet hope and inner peace for you should.

How do you know what heavy is? Because there is light. How do you know what black is? Because there is white. How do you know what rich is? Because there is poor.

Everything must have an opposite to which it can be compared for the thing itself to exist and to be known. The same principle applies to good. There must be evil present in order for good to exist and to be known.

Evil comes in two forms, physical and moral, and needs to be understood as such before proceeding. Physical forms of evil are evident in natural occurrences such as natural disasters, famine, illness, etc. This form of evil exists to justify the existence of good. Moral forms of evil occur in direct opposition to God’s will and are evident in sinful acts such as the killing and abuse of innocent children. This form of evil exists to justify the existence of God’s will.

Moral acts of evil against innocent children are seen every day in person, on TV, over the Internet and in the newspaper. The constant berating by these images tempt the human spirit to become bitter, helpless feeling and hardened to any part of a God who needs such acts to justify His will. Strengthen your spirit with the following nutritious information about the real nature of God and His will so it will not become weak and fall victim to this temptation.

1 John 4:8 describes God as a God of love. Although He desires for everyone to love Him, in return He will not force anyone to do so. Forcing love upon Himself would be self-seeking, unkind, dishonoring of others and in direct opposition to His own 1 Corinthians 13 definition of love. Instead, He gives each and every person free will to choose him or not. Free will must, as previously explained, come with an opposite to which it can be compared in order for it to exist and to be known; its opposite is the moral form of evil. The conclusion can then be made that morally sinful acts against innocent children are the result of humans exercising their free will to make destructive, instead of constructive, choices.

Although natural and moral acts of evil by another are beyond our realm of control, our response to them is not. Paul, in Romans 8:28, provides the information we need to keep our reactions from escaping our domain of restraint.

He states that God will work in ALL things for our greater if we must choose Him over treasures, look for security in heaven rather than on earth, and learn to accept instead of reject pain by knowing He is with us.

We cannot ignore the choice Paul couples with the promise. If we choose against God He will withhold sending us the strength we need to maintain inner peace and hope amid surrounding evil. If we choose in favor of God, He will immediately schedule a shipment of this power to us.

Should the timing God deems most suitable for its delivery seem delayed, do not try to track the package for there is no proof of shipment only acknowledgement of good faith.

ABBIE LONG is a Franklin native and advice columnist for The Tidewater News. Submit your questions to askabbie@tidewaternews.com