Just wanted someone to explain something to me that I am confused about.
The bible says that good people will be blessed and have good lives, so why does it seem that nasty people are succeeding while good people are not?
I know someone who has become successful despite the way they bully and mock others. And even is appearing as if they are a great nice person to others which is just not true. Whiel the person they tormented is suffering.
What does the Bible say about this?
Comments
Obstacles Christians face could be their tests in this life. Just like the devil striked Job's life (read the book of Job) and messed up everything. EVERYTHING! But he remained faithful.
Of course we wish we could have good, peaceful earthly lives. And some of us do. God doesn't allow you to suffer beyond what he knows you can handle.
So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
That verse in Luke above may answer your question but I can't comment how related it is. Perhaps the sons of this world are successful because they always flatter their neighbour. Pope Shenouda said Satan is ready to give you anything if you give him your soul.
Our true success is being faithful over our talents not our unrealistic dreams. We don't achieve as much as the world because they receive their portion in this life. It is God who has given them their abilities as it written in the psalms whose belly you fill with your hidden treasure. David the prophet was wealthy but not as wealthy as some other people or kings. Seems strange since He is a King. That is how I read it in the psalms anyway. He said in psalm 4 gladness has filled my heart more than how their grain and wine increased. Also psalm 73 addresses this though not written by David but by Asaph.
However we have a God who tells us nothing is impossible with Him. Therefore He can grant us all success if we seek first the kingdom. He can even heal the lame
But God knows what is good for us and what will help us focus on the heavenly rewards. He knew our path before we were born. It was His plan to heal some and not heal others. The one who is not healed is not so because he has sinned but God has a role for everyone in their life and we don't know that role from what talents or disabilities we had in the start. But for those who God planned to heal they will never receive that healing if they are not faithful over their talents for God to entrust them with more in the world for the Glory of His Name. We have to accept God's will. St Paul was given a thorn in the flesh that he may not become too proud. The children of God may have to earn their success but to the ungodly I think it is easier. How do you know you are good. As for me I am not good. Joseph and Job were good but even they only had a season for success. I now pray that I am chastened by the Lord but not given over to death that is despair. If we receive no chastening we are not children of God.
We glorify Christ when we obey Him as it is a reflection of Him in our life. We also honour Him in His glory by placing value in our works for His sake.
Glory and Honour, Honour and Glory..
We are against the sin of pride here and it is very difficult to deal with without getting involved in the sin as well.
If they convert for that reason they don't have the belief God is seeking as there will be no Cross to follow which Paul calls foolishness to the world.
God does not seek people who follow Him just out of fear. The only proof they love Him is if they follow Him wherever He goes. In the parable of the sower the people represented by the stony ground only believed for a while but when tribulation came they did not struggle along the narrow path. Paul says we ought not to see godliness as a means of gain but God is seeking godliness with contentment
That is there is no promise of earthly prosperity. Paul says we are Sown in weakness raised in power. God wants us to find our happiness in Him and leave it to Him to worry about our needs and what is good for us. All our attention should be focused on His righteousness and when there is spare time and when we have sought God too much and been satisfied and are bored focus on other things. The disciples left everything to follow Christ. Paul says not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things to put to shame the wise. He chose fishermen and a tax collector. The question is can God use us as He used them ? Are the stories of pope kyrillos miracles true and all the synaxarium ? If so can we be like them ?If he can't use us like them how will the worldly wise be put to shame. We may need to prove God can help us achieve regular things not miracles. Of course I am not asking do we need to perform great miracles individually but collectively as a church atleast small ones
Actually they may not flatter people that may produce the opposite effect but we should be nice to people if we want to get help which means not claiming to be worthy to preach to them because it is not our job to convert people but Gods job
Luke 16:8 (NKJV)
So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
SJC I pray you will be ok my friend. May God be with you.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself.
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God
Jesus is talking about the condemnation of judging that offers no redemption because even our enemies need to be brought into the light that they may see their error.
Those who are in darkness use excuses like everyones doing it and if for our conscience we want yes to mean yes and no to mean no, then to keep our integrity we judge the situation and not the person. So the situation where everyone's doing it, simply don't do it.
But sin is personal and perceived as such, so to even talk about it can be taken personally with offense then protected with pride and the person taken further from the path and still remain in darkness.
I was hoping to give a sermon on this Sundays Gospel to add to Abounas. Even though I do normally the Catholicon I am not good at putting forth my voice to what is the churches views. Even I'm worried about being judged. This Sundays Gospel is about Jesus reading from Isiah in the Synagogue. The thoughts that came to my mind where firstly that the Synagogue is a place where the jews discussed the hidden meanings of the Torah and prophesies. It is what God revealed to them. The situation is an intimate situation. Intimacy is truth and vulnerability, so very sensitive.
Jesus is handed a book and He opens it and reads a prophesy from Isiah concernin Himself:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach to the poor,
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
And said: " Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
They immediately responded by making Him to be just like everyone else by asking the question; "Is this not Joseph's son?"
Then He spoke of the prophets who went to the one widow and the one leper when there were many
Those who were in the Synagogue didn't understand that God loved all and that the ones He was talking to considered themselves not to be sick because they were following the law.
The law is not perfect and cannot be perfected as love can be perfected.
They became jealous because jealousy is the fear of not being perfect. Jealous of the law. Jealous to who they were but God loved all His creation and was jealous of it for He truly did possess it.
So the Jews did take on this perfection of love and could not love thy enermy
Love sets us free and gives liberty of free will but in obeying the Sabbath they thought they were free from responsibility but Jesus healed on the Sabbath as love is not confined to a perticuler day.
The enermy is sin Mike not the person. The sin is darkness and makes one blind and love is light so we see and understand and Jesus is the light in His Gospel that we spread because He loved us first. We are all the same in His eyes first but separated by what is in the heart.
Or should he fulfill the weightier matters first or try both at the same time if we try both at the same time will we neglect the weightier matters if trying to keep the smaller laws consumes most of ones thinking not saying it does