The Most Terrifying Thing God Can Do

[Garland-Green]

The Most Terrifying Thing God Can Do

Warning. Sad and scary pictures.  

[cristobela]

True. exclaim

And in other cases, but just as scary, God will make a righteous one and/or an innocent one suffer in front of you, because of your actions (but without that person retaliating) for you to feel the magnitude of just how hateful you are. So, why is there suffering in the world? So that we see firsthand why God's instructions must be obeyed: those commands were given, not to curb our fun, but to keep all of creation safe—including yourself, physically and emotionally, but others as well. When we don't obey, or fail to teach his ways, someone gets hurt.

Once in a while I come across this thought: since we're called to be like Jesus, that means we're being called to voluntarily suffer unmerited wrath at the hands of others, without retaliation, so instead of feeling justified in their actions they realize how evil they are. If we snap back in the same manner, then they feel we deserved their spiteful word / treatment. But when we don't retaliate, they realize they're the one in the wrong.

But sometimes not even that—going through suffering or seeing someone suffer (your own family, a stranger, suffering because of your choices)—is enough, and destruction is the destiny they've chosen. They're so in love with their sin, that they'd rather die than repent of their sin and live.

I pray we receive the discernment to recognize when we're being called to be that volunteer who says, "I'll be your lightning rod of hate" which God will use to soften the hearts of those watching.