In a world such as the one we live in today it is easy to assume that God’s dead. If he were there, why would he let the world come to the mess it’s become, right? Well, while it might seem that way, the truth is that God’s not dead. People want to believe that a world with God watching us will be perfect, yet they forget that it is not God but corrupted souls that have darkened our world.
Some might argue that God’s dead or not real because if he is, then why do bad things happen? Well, one must remember that when speaking of God we do not speak of a god like Zeus who imposed his will upon the Greeks. God granted us free will so that we can choose the path we want, and he cannot intervene unless we allow him to enter our hearts. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t just walk into someone’s home without being invited in. Likewise, God cannot enter lives until we open up our hearts for him.
Others believe God’s dead because if there as a God, why would bad things happen to believers? What’s the point in behaving and believing if bad things are still going to happen? Well, to this I say that Christians call God our father, and as a parent, if you give your children everything they want, they will grow up to be spoiled and unappreciative. Furthermore, if you don’t let your child make mistakes and fall down and scrape their knees a few times, they will never learn the lessons they need to in order to grow up into successful adults.
Along the same lines, we need to realize that we cannot only believe in God when things go our way. God expects disinterested piety from us. That is, he expects us to believe in him even when we do not understand what he’s doing. In other words, unlike with Santa, where good behavior is used in order to win a prize, God expects us to be good out of the kindness of our hearts and not for the promise of a perfect life.
What’s perhaps the biggest lie about God’s death or non-existence is the idea that everything that comes out of the mouth of someone who calls themselves a “religious person” is the word of God. The only true word of God is within Scripture, and even that can be manipulated to man’s agenda. People who try to kill God put the words of mere mortals into the mouth of God without remembering that it is human to err and that whether you are the Pope, a priest, or the most religious person on the block, you are still human, and you cannot speak for God. The word of God is not in the mouth of men but in our hearts.
Finally, people expect definitive proof for God’s existence without realizing that a) faith is very personal and so reasons to believe/proof will vary and b) if you are adamant about God being real, about God being alive you will miss all the signs. It’s like when you’re arguing with someone and refuse to see another point of view. As long as you believe he’s dead you won’t seem him.
God’s not dead! I know this because I’ve been in two horrible car accidents and came out unscathed (coincidentally both happened as I was going or coming from Church events). God’s alive because I wanted to kill myself, and only he stopped me. God’s real because in my darkest hours he has sent me angels disguised as friends when I have needed them. I believe because no matter how dark or difficult the moment might seem, I know it will always pass because e will never let me go as long as I have him in my heart. So spread the news: God’s NOT dead!
