Living in Abundance: God is not Responsible for your Suffering

Often, we struggle with the concept of God as good. Difficulties and suffering in life harden our view of God. God becomes an easy target for all travesties and crises in life. However, God does not cause suffering! The cause of human suffering are the systems of humankind, existing outside of God’s original order: Eden.

Escaping Scarcity: Changing Your View of God

There is a psychological theory that proposes we project our hurt, pain, and suffering onto God. The theory purports, as infants, we are powerless to meet our own needs. As a result, humans view parents as extensions of themselves. When a child receives feeding, nurturing, and love; they develop a healthy sense of attachment and trust in a good world. However, when a parent neglects or abuses an infant; the baby learns to distrust the world. The infant perceives the world and their circumstances with misgiving and suspicion. Even if the infant eventually experiences a sense of security; they continue to view their caregivers and surroundings as unsafe.

Just like the neglected infant; your experiences of suffering and scarcity skew your view of the world. As you cope with negative life experiences, your resiliency protects you. However, as hardship and difficulties continually pommel you, your resilience wavers. You become desperate and wonder why God is not intervening. As the pain continues, you become angry and distant from God. Out of your grief grows bitterness. You begin to question if God even exists or cares. God becomes the distant parent. You no longer trust God for love, comfort, and safety. In your mind, God becomes your abuser.