By David Geisler
As I reflect on all that is happening all around the world this year, I am disheartened by all the evil and suffering that I see. I even share the perplexity that many have as to why God would allow Covid-19 to ravage our globe.
Yet despite the trials and suffering, may I suggest that we, who are Christ-first followers, should especially strive to live with a different posture and perspective!
Sometimes like a mirror, a crisis can reveal the kind of Christians we are and help us see where our hope and trust really lie. We should all ask ourselves, do we really believe that Romans 8:28 is true? Do we really believe that God can take bad things and still use them to produce a greater good? If so then why not show a different posture and perspective during this crisis?
Specifically, why not take the focus off ourselves and use this troubling time for personal dialogue with others who may have questions they need answers to! May I humbly suggest that Christ-followers should especially be sensitive to the precious and delicate moments that suffering tends to create in people’s lives so that we can have meaningful dialogue with them.
Do we really believe that God can take bad things and still use them to produce a greater good?
Yet it is important to remember that for those who are suffering in different ways, it is not enough to give intellectual answers to questions they may have from a Biblical perspective. That is why to be more effective today in our witness to others, we must couple our approach with something else. To more effectively minister to a hurting world, we must also practice the art of emotional apologetics.
Sometimes the answers we give others for the hurts they experience seem a little shallow and so an emotional apologetic approach might need to be our first step with some people. Sometimes we may just need to sit and grieve with people and not even attempt to give an answer to their troubling question or issue they are facing.
We must practice the art of emotional apologetics.
Intellectual answers to our unthinkable sufferings cannot always satisfy our hurting hearts. The Apostle Paul says that these “…light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Cor. 4:17 (NIV) However, tell that to a friend who is struggling to understand why God would allow Covid-19 to take the life of their family member, shut down their business, or be used to harm their entire economy.
The truth is that maybe we just can’t understand why God allows this degree of evil in the world. Maybe that’s part of our finiteness. In fact, this idea was taught by the medieval philosopher and Theologian, Thomas Aquinas, who was one of the major influences on my father, Dr. Norman Geisler. He taught that we can have only a finite understanding of God’s goodness. Ours is finite — God’s is infinite! We cannot see eternity’s corridors to realize that this evil that we are experiencing now will someday not even be noticed!
An emotional apologetic approach might need to be our first step.
So maybe now I have to admit that I am not going to be able to fully wrap my head around the idea that a good God could allow this degree of evil to happen on earth at all. As a result, it’s going to continue to be a mystery to me in some ways, just like the mystery of the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and human freedom, or the mystery of the Trinity. My father would say it’s a mystery… but not a contradiction. (2 Cor. 1:18).
But the bottom line is that in dealing with evil and suffering in our world, it is important that we who follow Christ convey both the right posture and perspective in the midst of the crisis we face. It is also important for us to reach out to those who may be hurting greatly and practice an emotional apologetic in our witness to others (1 Thes. 2:8). Our emotional apologetic will make sure that our words match our actions, strengthening our witness for the God who transforms us daily.
Intellectual answers… cannot always satisfy our hurting hearts.
Those in our circle of influence should notice a difference in us no matter what is going on in the world, because we are resting in the peace of Christ. Jesus told us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matt. 11:28-29.
Thinking of this kind of peace, I am reminded of the eye of a hurricane. All around us may be swirling evil and chaos and pain, but when we are resting in Christ, we are resting in the eye of the storm where there is complete calm.
David in the Old Testament recognized we could have this kind of peace and calm when he pointed out to us “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Ps. 23:1-2). As Christians, this is how we should live our lives, through the transformative power of God. (Phil. 2:13) As a result, we should walk in great restedness in Him every day!
Our emotional apologetic will make sure that our words match our actions, strengthening our witness for the God who transforms us daily.
So let’s live our lives from this day forward with a different posture and perspective. Who knows how much time we have until the Lord returns! (Rev. 21:4). Let’s live with eternity in mind and be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading to notice the silent cries of others.
To learn more about how we are incorporating discipleship into our training, visit the Norm Geisler Institute.
If you are in a position of leadership, learn more about my upcoming Leadership Coaching and reserve your spot for future sessions.
To help us restore, translate, and apply Norm Geisler’s resources for Christians around the globe, support the Norm Geisler Legacy Initiative.