Book Review: Why God Allows Us to Suffer by Kevin Tewes.
Many theologians and writers had tried to provide reasonable answer to satisfy our never ending question-How could a loving and all powerful God allows pain and evil to dwell on earth?
Some have claimed that suffering is used by God for character building purposes. Others have argued it to be the fair retribution of of wrongful acts or the free- willed decision making by the individual or society around.
Kevin Tewes delves deeper into the problem of pain with a different lens. In Part 1 of the book, he make us to focus on the main four characters of God-all powerful, loving, wise and just.
In Part 2, he freshen up our memory of the story of Creation and Fall and methodologically reason out why pain and evil still exist.
The Great Commandment requires us to love God whole heartedly, and to love our fellow beings with no selfish motives. When we violate the commandment to love, the problem of pain shows up,
God, who made us in His own image wants us to love-the central purpose of human existence. And humanity exists only because God prioritized love over justice when the first act of sin was committed.
Tewes explains it beautifully as follows:
Indeed the problem of pain is unsolvable when one approaches it unmindful of the fact that love cannot occur without the presence of certain prerequisites. When unawareness of this fact is combined with a dismissive attitude regarding the consequence of sin, or a superficial understanding of the nature and character of God, the result is always the same-the conclusion that God is either not powerful enough or loving enough to prevent pain.
A must read book for insightful concepts on the problem of pain and suffering.
I received a complimentary review copy of the book through Bookcrash in exchange for an honest review.
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Greatest Valentine Day Gift
One fine Valentine morning, many years ago, as I was about to walk out our front door to go to the store to buy the ingredients to make the Valentine cake for my husband, On my way out, I remembered that I hadn't read my Bible that day. Guilt stricken, I slipped out of my winter boots and put my jacket back in the closet and walked back to my room.
As I sat on my bed and flipped open my Bible, the familiar verse, John 3:16, well underlined in red ink hit my eyes in a very special way. Countless times I would have read that passage before, but on that Valentine day, it spoke to me with a special effect to give me a deeper understanding of true love.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
No human being could outgive God in love or in gift giving. Dozens of red roses tied up in beautiful ribbons and boxes of chocolates given out in romantic love do not have a chance to compete with God's agape love and His precious gift of His Son. Even though we are unworthy to receive such a valuable unwrapped gift of love, God in His grace had chosen to love us so much that He opted to send His beloved Son to go to the cross so that we could have eternal life. Isn't that amazing or what?
In return, what could I offer Him? Knowing that He wouldn't be much interested in any card I write or the flowers I send, the candle I light or the beautiful cake I make, I decided to offer Him what He loves to get from me.
Slowly in reverence, I got down on my knees and with closed my eyes, I pledged that I would love my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. Because I uttered those words in heartfelt sincerity, it would have sounded so beautiful in God's ears. It was the best gift I could offer in return for His amazing love on that Valentine Morning.
As I sat on my bed and flipped open my Bible, the familiar verse, John 3:16, well underlined in red ink hit my eyes in a very special way. Countless times I would have read that passage before, but on that Valentine day, it spoke to me with a special effect to give me a deeper understanding of true love.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
No human being could outgive God in love or in gift giving. Dozens of red roses tied up in beautiful ribbons and boxes of chocolates given out in romantic love do not have a chance to compete with God's agape love and His precious gift of His Son. Even though we are unworthy to receive such a valuable unwrapped gift of love, God in His grace had chosen to love us so much that He opted to send His beloved Son to go to the cross so that we could have eternal life. Isn't that amazing or what?
In return, what could I offer Him? Knowing that He wouldn't be much interested in any card I write or the flowers I send, the candle I light or the beautiful cake I make, I decided to offer Him what He loves to get from me.
Slowly in reverence, I got down on my knees and with closed my eyes, I pledged that I would love my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind. Because I uttered those words in heartfelt sincerity, it would have sounded so beautiful in God's ears. It was the best gift I could offer in return for His amazing love on that Valentine Morning.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Father's Day
It's Father's Day today, the day set apart to honor Fathers all around the country. It's the day fathers receive all kinds of gifts from their children varying from "I love You, Daddy!"mug or teddy bear from a preschooler to gaudy colored tie with sparkling beads from a preteen to a handyman tool from a bell boy son to a paid up vacation from a CEO at pharmaceutical company.
I remember a hillarious episode in the Crosby Show on Father's Day, where Crosby brings out of storage a boxful of Father's Day gifts he had received and one by one pulls out in front of his children. By now the children had grown up to be young adults and when they look at the gaudy silk tie with sparkling beads, the belt with twinkling lights, the flowery cap with a protruding antenna Crosby put on to display, their eyes pop up with unbelief. None of the gifts look useful to their father at any age, but they were given with love and with the allowance they could afford to buy. The father knows it and that's why he has cherished every one of it without casting them away.
That's what the Father's day is all about. It's not the gift you give the father values, but the love with which it is given. Even a word like "I love you Dad!" over the phone or a tender touch of the son or daughter on sick bed would melt even a hardhearted man.
I grew up in a country where no Father's or Mother's Day were celebrated. Because of that I had no chance of writing a Father's Day card or giving my dad a gift on such a special day honoring him. In fact, I never had a chance to give my father a wrapped gift at any time. I was barely eighteen, when my dad passed away so suddenly of heart attack.Unlike here, children never got allowance or worked outside home to earn some money to call their own.
Lack of gift giving didn't mean lack of love, and the parents as well as the children knew that well. Parents expected love, respect and obedience from their children. And the children looked for love, responsiblity, and security from their parents. I didn't grow up telling " I love you Dad" or "I love you Mom" as my children do here. Neither did my mom or dad spelled it out in words that they loved me. I didn't wait to hear from them either, for their care and action spoke much louder than any spoken words.
I was blessed to have a noble, compassionate and a very responsible man as my father, whom I called Pappa. I never grew up hugging, playing or joking with my father as my children do with my husband. It wasn't norm in the culture I grew up at that time. Out of respect, I spoke with my father only when I needed to. I loved him dearly and I'm always so proud to be his daughter. The day he died, I felt as if my world collapsed. I couldn't accept his death for almost an year. I never told him "I love you Pappa!" or gave him a Father's Day gift, but my father knew it well I loved him very much.
On this Father's Day, I like to thank my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with so many good things. I want to thank Him for giving me the best father and giving my children a great dad. The best gifts I can give my Heavenly Father are my obedience, reverence and love. He values my time spent with Him and the talents He had given to be put to good use. Although, I wasn't accustomed to say "I love you" to my earthyly father, I've grown to say "I love You," to my Heavenly Father almost daily.
"Happy Father's Day!" to all those who are blessed be to be dads. Take the blessing seriously and responsibly and you'd never regret it. Your children will thank and remember you forever for the love, discipline, provision and protection, you've given them to have a secured life.
I remember a hillarious episode in the Crosby Show on Father's Day, where Crosby brings out of storage a boxful of Father's Day gifts he had received and one by one pulls out in front of his children. By now the children had grown up to be young adults and when they look at the gaudy silk tie with sparkling beads, the belt with twinkling lights, the flowery cap with a protruding antenna Crosby put on to display, their eyes pop up with unbelief. None of the gifts look useful to their father at any age, but they were given with love and with the allowance they could afford to buy. The father knows it and that's why he has cherished every one of it without casting them away.
That's what the Father's day is all about. It's not the gift you give the father values, but the love with which it is given. Even a word like "I love you Dad!" over the phone or a tender touch of the son or daughter on sick bed would melt even a hardhearted man.
I grew up in a country where no Father's or Mother's Day were celebrated. Because of that I had no chance of writing a Father's Day card or giving my dad a gift on such a special day honoring him. In fact, I never had a chance to give my father a wrapped gift at any time. I was barely eighteen, when my dad passed away so suddenly of heart attack.Unlike here, children never got allowance or worked outside home to earn some money to call their own.
Lack of gift giving didn't mean lack of love, and the parents as well as the children knew that well. Parents expected love, respect and obedience from their children. And the children looked for love, responsiblity, and security from their parents. I didn't grow up telling " I love you Dad" or "I love you Mom" as my children do here. Neither did my mom or dad spelled it out in words that they loved me. I didn't wait to hear from them either, for their care and action spoke much louder than any spoken words.
I was blessed to have a noble, compassionate and a very responsible man as my father, whom I called Pappa. I never grew up hugging, playing or joking with my father as my children do with my husband. It wasn't norm in the culture I grew up at that time. Out of respect, I spoke with my father only when I needed to. I loved him dearly and I'm always so proud to be his daughter. The day he died, I felt as if my world collapsed. I couldn't accept his death for almost an year. I never told him "I love you Pappa!" or gave him a Father's Day gift, but my father knew it well I loved him very much.
On this Father's Day, I like to thank my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with so many good things. I want to thank Him for giving me the best father and giving my children a great dad. The best gifts I can give my Heavenly Father are my obedience, reverence and love. He values my time spent with Him and the talents He had given to be put to good use. Although, I wasn't accustomed to say "I love you" to my earthyly father, I've grown to say "I love You," to my Heavenly Father almost daily.
"Happy Father's Day!" to all those who are blessed be to be dads. Take the blessing seriously and responsibly and you'd never regret it. Your children will thank and remember you forever for the love, discipline, provision and protection, you've given them to have a secured life.
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