"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
- James 1:2-4
One afternoon while browsing at National Bookstore, I came across a book—pardon me for forgetting the title—which lists several arguments supporting the idea that God does not exist. Most of the arguments, I've noticed, boil down to the existence of suffering; apparently the existence of suffering is the antithesis to the existence of God.
"If God makes life easy, we will never grow."
It's not simple logic, I know. I know it's not an easy thing to comprehend. It's easier to ask, "If there is a God and He loves me and is with me, why does He allow me to suffer?" I guess we can put it like this: When a storm comes and wipes away everything and everyone has to start again, we know that a person who is trained to work has better chances to survive compared to a person who has never worked a day in his life, who has had everything handed to him on a silver platter.
That is what suffering does to us: it prepares us for something bigger, something greater than anything we can imagine. The hardest battles make the strongest soldiers.
Yes, in every circumstance, He is with us—at our highest and at our lowest. Maybe it does not make a lot of sense now, but have faith that it will all make sense in the end.
nice blog! by the way are u christian or catholic? where do you go to church? do you read the bible everyday?
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for dropping by! To answer your questions, (1) according to my birth certificate, I am Catholic, but I prefer to be called and live as a Christian. (2) I go to TouchPoint Ayala every Sunday unless I have to work or I'm out of town. And (3) about reading the Bible everyday, I try. :)
DeleteEnough about me. I would love to hear about you. Are you a Christian too? :)
yes, im christian. about being catholic and preferring to live as a christian, do you mean you were converted to christianity? or you still go to catholic church sometimes?
ReplyDeleteI haven't been hearing Mass anymore, if that's what you're asking. I found the services at TouchPoint to be spiritually healthier for me. :)
DeleteDepends on what you mean by conversion. I haven't been baptized yet. I wasn't ready yet when the opportunity came. :)
oh ok. if your friends invite you to catholic church or catholic events like sinulog, do you still agree to go? or you totally don't have catholic practices anymore?
DeleteHmm... I attended one of my best friends' wedding (held in a Catholic church), and I did join the crowd in walking from Fuente to Ayala last Sinulog, if that counts. I was so exhausted I promised myself I'd store food and stay home next year.LOL
DeleteI have countless Catholic friends, and as much as I pray for them to be "enlightened" by the light that I found, I respect their faith. :)