Christian Living Stories: If I Were God

Let’s be perfectly honest—sometimes it’s hard for me to understand God. He just doesn’t make the decisions I would make if I were God. For example, if I were God I definitely would not give rain to mean, hateful farmers. Only good and fair farmers would get my rain. But the scripture says God sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45 KJV).

If I were God, only bad people would die prematurely. Good people would live long, happy lives. But the scripture says sometimes God takes the righteous so they will escape the perils to come (Isaiah 57:1).

If I were God, I would always let everyone know exactly what lies ahead. There would be no question about what I had in mind. It would all be cut and dried and easy to understand. But scripture says God only lets us see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV).

If I were God, there would be no suffering in this world. But God says this is not his world; it’s Satan’s world. Therefore he doesn’t always intervene, so bad things happen that we can’t understand (2 Corinthians 4:4).

If I were God, Christians would not have trials. After all, they are trying to obey God and do what is right. But God says those who follow him will have trials (2 Timothy 3:12).

If I were God, we would all run the same race. But scripture indicates each of us has a specific course to run, tailor-made for us. Our trials are for us, not for someone else (Hebrews 12:1).

Fortunately for the world, I am not God. God has a distinct advantage over me. He knows everything and I don’t. For me to judge the decisions God makes for my life or the lives of others is folly because only God knows when we should get rain and when we shouldn’t. Only he knows when we should live and when we should die. Only he knows when it would be in our best interest to have certain understanding and when it wouldn’t. Only he knows which trials will produce the best results in our lives and which ones won’t. Only he knows how to work in us so he is glorified.

You see, it’s not about us; it’s about him! That’s why we’re told to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrew 12:2). I must admit this is not always easy for me to do, but it’s a much better alternative than thinking I could do a better job than God.

Author: Barbara Dahlgren