Blog Post 1
Have you ever wondered why good people go through things you might consider unfair, while some unjust folks seem to have life easy? As practical life must have shown each of us, being a good human does not necessarily guarantee that life will work out smoothly for you better than the “bad guys”. The same way being a virgin full of virtue does not certify you for a “happily ever after” marriage. I have come to believe that doing well in life requires wisdom in choices and an audacity necessary to make progress. In addition to being a good human, being happily married is predicated on your ability to apply God’s wisdom and engage godly counsel in choosing the right partner. That’s the foundation of a good home. These are things that are independent.
People can be immoral yet understand the principles behind life and have the audacity to take bold steps. Life will reward them much more than the good guys that lack an understanding of how life works. This is the simple reason wealth creation is independent of religious affiliation. Similarly, a lady might live a loose life while single and yet have a high level of discretion in spotting qualities of a “marry-able” man. She could go on to marry a solid partner just by making a good choice.
I know you tend to believe that God should punish them for certain things. I seem to believe otherwise. As far as the bargains of life are concerned, Jesus has this to say, “...that ye be like your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes His rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]” - Matthew 5:45 (AMP). This is the kind of God Jesus showed us. Consistent with His word, if they do not repent, they will not make heaven. However, as far as life on earth is concerned, they might have equal opportunity to a good life as any believer. Certainly, some bad people get heavily knocked down by life. But, I don’t believe it’s God punishing them. I think it is life, guarded by principles which they negate, paying them back specifically. If the reason why we serve God is for earthly rewards, then a quick gaze at the earthly reality of some unbelievers, could leave us utterly disappointed. There is more to our pursuit of it.
I have seen good Christians kept under the siege of avoidable stagnancy. If you are spiritual and careless with your health, for example, your body could fail you and that could lead to premature death. I have witnessed good men and women that made terrible mistakes in marriage going through pain (I say this with tears). It seems unfair. We have the tendency to blame God; but, I don’t blame him at all. Understanding these things, I always warn young believers in my life to be careful of how they live their lives. Just being a Christian is not a guarantee that life will be fair to you, if you lack the wisdom necessary for living. It is important to learn the art of making right choices and invest heavily in growth while you are young.
I know the grace of God is real. But that grace is often revealed in greater dimensions when you learn to make the right choices. Primarily, one of the core things the grace of God teaches His children is to make good choices (Titus 2:12). Knowing that “teaching” requires time and phases, I dare say that the grace of God, if we allow it to have its way, will take you through cycles of acquisition of wisdom for choices.
This statement from a bosom friend of mine, Chibuike Ezeanyim, while we were in undergraduate school remains embossed on my mind: “living is one thing everybody does; but very few people have actually learnt how to live.” Invest your youthfulness in understanding how life works. The Bible is full of principles. It has everything you need; but, there is a way you approach the scripture and you miss out on these key principles for life. There are different ways to read the Bible. It’s often best when you read it from all of these dimensions.
Written by,
Dr. Winner C. Anigbogu