Time and again the question has been asked, “If really the world was created by a good and omnipotent God who watches over His creation, why are we visited so often by natural disasters and personal tragedies?” On some occasions, tens of thousands are killed and whole communities ...Time and again the question has been asked, “If really the world was created by a good and omnipotent God who watches over His creation, why are we visited so often by natural disasters and personal tragedies?” On some occasions, tens of thousands are killed and whole communities rendered homeless by earthquake. At other times, death and destruction are caused by flooding. When their season comes, hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones sweep in violently and take their toll on lives and property.
Planes crash, same goes for motor vehicles, trains derail, boats sink and cancer manifests. The hopes and aspirations of victims are tragically cut short and their loved ones are left grieving. Famine, poverty, disease and armed conflict are ravaging a whole continent – Africa.
“And why does God, the most benevolent, allow so much evil in the world?” Our experience of evil deeds ranges from the occasional abduction, rape and murder to genocide perpetrated in the name of racial or ethnic cleansing. And while we are still grappling with discrimination and oppression by invoking human rights, terrorism has added a horrifying new dimension to our experience of wicked deeds.
Given the catalogue of woes we have to live with, some people are understandably disenchanted with God. But this should not be so. The fault lies, not with God but with our lack of adequate knowledge of how God has designed things to work. If we understand how the system works and we do things the right way, all will surely be well with us. The knowledge I gained from six years of scientific inquiry into the spiritual aspect of life will be a great help here.
God has endowed us with ability to do things. But this ability is limited. The extent of the limitation is such that we cannot on our own ensure the attainment and maintenance of the happiness, good health and success we all crave for. This means that we must necessarily associate with God if our well being is to be guaranteed. He is almighty and can provide all the help and protection we need to enable us live completely happy and successful lives. This arrangement makes it impractical for us to disregard God and do things our own way. (God has to remain relevant in the affairs of humans as we are co-workers with Him in the ongoing work of creation).
In order to fully appreciate this arrangement, we can liken it to the divine design that necessitates the marital relationship. A man may desire to have children. But his ability to procreate is limited. He can only make a woman pregnant. There, his contribution ends. It is the woman that carries the fetus in her womb until it is fully developed. Then she delivers the baby. No matter how big, strong and virile a man may be, he cannot on his own bring a child into the world. His ability to reproduce is limited to the extent that he must necessarily enter into a relationship with a woman in order to have children.
Let us now consider the important issue of proper relationship. For a woman to cooperate with a man in bearing and raising children, the man has to enter into a proper relationship with her. This relationship is what we know as marriage. When a marriage has been properly contracted, the woman will gladly do what she is naturally equipped to do - bear children. She is fulfilled when she brings children into the union. The husband does not have to beg or plead with her to play this role.
The issue of proper relationship is also important in our association with God. In order for God to cooperate with us in ensuring our well being, we need to establish a proper relationship with Him. While human ability is limited, God is almighty. When a proper relationship is established, here is what happens. In striving towards the realization of our goals and aspirations, we will carry out those things that are humanly possible, while God will accomplish those things that are humanly impossible.
It does not require our pleas and prayers for God to play His role in ensuring our safety and welfare. God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He is always ready and willing to prove Himself by accomplishing those things we consider impossible and these include those things we regard as miracles. The way God relates to humans is aptly expressed in the statement, “man’s extremity is God’s opportunity”.
And now we come to the question of how someone can establish a proper relationship with God. In the case of marriage, a wedding ceremony is generally accepted as the requirement for establishing a proper marital relationship. It could be a religious, customary or court wedding. However, establishing a proper relationship with God does not require any ceremonies. All a person needs to do is get close to God. “But how does someone get close to God?” you may ask. Here is how.
It is a natural phenomenon that people of like nature tend to come together. That is why it is said, “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are” or “birds of like feather flock together”. To get close to God a person has to emulate God in His goodness. Such a person has to become good-natured and they have to live a moral life. To be good-natured means to be kind, helpful and unselfish in one's dealings with others. An unselfish person is one who considers the interests and welfare of others first. And to live a moral life is to live a good and virtuous life.
To become well-connected with God requires that you become godly. To put it in modern parlance, you have to live a God-friendly life.
As it is the case with partners in a marital relationship, there are benefits you enjoy when you establish a proper relationship with God.
Firstly, no difficulty or challenge shall overcome you if you always put your faith in God whenever your abilities or resources prove to be inadequate. Even mountain-high obstacles cannot prevent you from attaining your goals and aspirations. But you may not want to take my word for it. So here is a second opinion – that of Jesus Christ, one of the world’s greatest teachers in the domain of religion and spirituality. (The Bible (NIV), Mark 11:22-24).
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Secondly, evil or misfortune will not befall you. Accidents will occur, sickness will claim lives, men will perpetrate evil and nature will wreak havoc but you will remain untouched. Again I will want Jesus to corroborate my hard-to-believe assertions regarding the amazing benefits of God-friendly living, (Luke 6:46-49).
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
And thirdly, God’s blessings shall be yours in full. You will gain those good things that everyone hopes for and strives to obtain. You will have good health, your happiness will be boundless and your success will be complete. This may sound like an extravagant claim but listen to Jesus on the connection between our welfare and godliness, (Matthew 6:25-33).
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
I have found from personal experience that when someone is well-connected with God, they function on a superhuman level. So why should anyone struggle through life relying on their limited abilities alone when they can also draw on the unlimited capabilities of God? Surely, it makes sense to live in a God-friendly way and be able to journey through life as a superperson.
Emmanuel Emezie is the founder and leader of Total Wealth Movement – an organization that aims at enlightening the global community about the Total Wealth model of success. This holistic model of success entails gaining physical wealth (good health), material wealth (money and material possessions) and spiritual wealth (wealth that derives from spiritual knowledge). Human beings must strive for total wealth if we are to enjoy completely happy and successful lives. For more information visit: www.totalwealthmovement.org