Contentment…Is it Possible or Impossible?

Posted: January 26, 2013 in Father, Husband, Inspirational
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I read a story once about a journalist who happened upon a small house way out in the deep woods of West Virginia. This particular journalist was in a difficult state trying to track down a lead on Moonshiners deep in the forest but instead, found himself lost and unable to find his way back to his car. As he desperately searched to find his way, he came upon a small house with a little porch completely hidden amongst the thick trees. As he carefully approached the house, he saw an older couple sitting on rocking chairs while holding hands. He greeted them cautiously and as he tells the story, found them both very gracious and frankly, extremely friendly. While he rested before he set off again with directions, he had the opportunity to speak with the old man whereas he quickly determined that this old guy was someone very special. First he determined that the old man was very rich and very successful in his life. As they talked further, he uncovered the man was a doctor and also an inventor and responsible for many medical breakthroughs during his lifetime. As the old man continued to speak, the journalist realized he was speaking with someone who was not like any he had ever met before but yet something bothered him greatly. Here was a man who had everything he could ever want and yet here he was, living in a tiny house out in the forest with no one around but his wife. So as he sat there listening the journalist inside him kicked in and he had to ask the question…”Sir, why do you live out here in the woods and not in a palace in the big city?”

With an easy, peaceful smile on his face, he said softly…”I’m content here.”

And for the first time in his career, the journalist was stunned and frankly, did not know what to say but suddenly a light went on and he understood completely what the old man meant. You cannot buy what the old man had discovered, so rather than exist in bountiful luxury and be unhappy, he had chosen obscurity and gained contentment…

So how much does contentment cost and where do I find it?

If I were to ask all of you as to whether or not you were content, what would your answer be? Have you ever thought about it before? Unfortunately, most guys (and I know I am generalizing here) don’t necessarily plug into the idea of contentment. They understand when they are happy and sad but for the most part, we are usually focused on work or play. But I would like to give you something else to consider.

To the world, contentment means accepting what one has without seeking more but actually, contentment goes beyond what we see around us. It is actually a condition of your heart. Contentment is God giving you exactly what you need, each moment of each day. Not only is He walking with you by your side, but He also goes before you and me preparing a way for us…preparing a future for us.

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I mean ask yourself, why aren’t you content? Is it because of “things” you don’t have or a job that you want but haven’t been able to make it happen? What I am saying is the quest for more here on earth will NOT bring you contentment…this is exactly what the world wants you to think. However, if you plug into a daily relationship with Christ, seeking Him for peace…He will bring you contentment like you have never known before.

Let me leave you with a verse in Hebrews 13:5-6…

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

 

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

I will end with something you have heard me say before…but if you can keep your eyes focused on Him exclusively and weather the daily storm you can see in the above verse that you are NOT ALONE. God will NOT leave us NOR forget us…which means he walks with you and provides you exactly what you need…that perfect dose…again, each and everyday. I encourage you to “tap into” what God has for you.

And where will that lead you…? Well, it is my personal goal and I hopefully I’ve convinced you to make it yours as well…

Yep…Contentment…

Until next time guys…

5 Reasons for Us to Have HOPE Right Now…

Posted: January 22, 2013 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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imgresOur God is still on the throne (Psalms 47:8) – The God of the Bible…well…He hasn’t gone anywhere. He is still alive and at work in our world. I know it is very easy to look at what happens in this world and say God is dead or may he is just sleeping…(I have heard that before) But I assure you…He is alive and very well.

With man, things are impossible…but with God, ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:21). It is so very easy to just give up and give in to all of the adversity that is constantly thrown in our direction because we simply forget Gods promises. Bottom line, God has NO limitations. His ways are NOT our ways and therefore he will not react or think as we do…our response needs to be to ask and to trust.

I don’t have to understand everything – I’ve come to realize that my trying to understand the why’s of this world? that is NOT my job. The more I try to understand, the more frustrated I become. My job is to completely trust in Him…even though I don’t understand why (Proverbs 3:5-6). Do you remember the story of Peter when he got out of the boat and started walking on the water to meet Jesus? (Matthew 14:29-30) He was actually walking on water until he took his eyes off of Christ and then what happened? He started sinking fast…and what was his reaction? He cried, “Lord save me!” which is exactly what we are supposed to do…

All of what you are going through right now is only temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18) – We need to remember that what we see is only temporary and what we cannot see…well that is eternal. Even though things may look very dark in the night remember that weeping may last for the night…but joy comes in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

I know how this story ends – All of the difficulty and adversity we face every day sometimes can be overwhelming. In fact, it may seem like the bad guy is winning…But let me assure you with an overwhelming confidence…I know who wins in the end.

 

Until Next time Guys…

The Bitter Pill of Bitter-ness

Posted: January 21, 2013 in Husband, Inspirational
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See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and to defile many. Hebrews 12:15

Have you ever known someone that seemed to be terminally in a “bad” mood all the time? Maybe you have someone like that in your family so that when holidays come, everyone tries to avoid that person because no matter what is said, he or she will lash out? Hollywood glamorized the grumpiness of two old guys when they made the movie “Grumpy Old Men” and we all laughed. But the reality is, grumpiness or bitterness, is an infection that can completely ruin a persons life. Moreover, as some of you may know, bitterness can destroy a community of believers faster than you can imagine. Bitterness is like a virus and left unchecked, can grow and permeate your entire body until you reek of it.

I am sharing this with you because it is very important not only for us, but the person infected to feel the touch and the presence of God before they are lost forever. Yes, I did say forever…Bitterness can and will destroy lives and the Bible is very clear about this.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.  Hebrews 12:14

I assure you guys, when you are bitter…you are NOT holy and we can see from the above scripture how important holiness is to God…and to us.

So why do I tell you this now? Sometimes I really don’t have a specific plan in mind, I just find myself reading somewhere in the Bible and then a verse or a concept strikes me. In this instance, when I read the bitterness verse I realized that I have friends just like that and they have no idea how serious their future is jeopardized by NOT taking action to try to make things better. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:27 to

…Do not give the devil a foothold.

Guys, when you swallow the bitterness and resentment pill you give the devil a foothold in your life…and trust me, once he has a foothold, he will NOT stop there until he has destroyed everything he can. 1 Peter 5:8 says:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The devil wants to destroy you and there is no other way I can say that or sugar coat it so it sounds better. That, my friends, is a fact.

But remember guys, bitterness doesn’t just affect you…It affects your wife, kids, parents, your coworkers and imgresthe list goes on. As I mentioned before, bitterness is a virus and must be dealt with by getting on your knees and seeking Gods grace and forgiveness. There is NO OTHER WAY… Paul tells us again in Ephesians to:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31

I know that getting rid of this issue is easier said, than done but really…you have to get rid of it…Shake it off as you would a bad day. I encourage you to seek God and to then seek help.

If you can read this post and recognize that the person I am referring to is you…then you need to start first on your knees before Him. The Bible says:

Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

If you are suffering from bitterness at present, doesn’t being lifted up sound really good right now? And that is just the beginning. If you allow the Holy Spirit to envelope you, God will melt that bitterness root right out from underneath you.

I challenge you guys today to be men and take the tough first step and recognize you have the bitterness root within you and humbly ask God to take it away.

He will NOT let you down. Of that I am concretely sure…

Until next time guys…

True Greatness…

Posted: January 13, 2013 in Inspirational, Sports Stuff
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Over the last couple of years, I have been trying to convince a friend of my to guest post on the Ironman Strength blog…up until just recently I have been unsuccessful until now…My friend, Albert Gardner who is a Husband, a Father, and a leader of men has been moved by some athletes and coaches who have announced their retirement in recent weeks and he has decided to share his thoughts on the subject. I know you will enjoy his insight as he delves into the greater meaning of his post…

True Greatness     by Albert Gardner

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This past weekend, two football greats announced they were stepping away from the game they love, Ray Lewis and Bob Ladouceur. Though even the most casual of football fans knows of the name Ray Lewis, Super Bowl MVP, guaranteed first ballot Hall of Fame, He is not the one who defines greatness for me; Bob Ladouceur has coached De La Salle Spartan High School football team for the past 34 years by taking them from obscurity to national prominence…even dominance. Under his leadership, the Spartans have never had a losing season, in fact they’ve enjoyed 20 un-defeated seasons, established a record 151 game winning streak, and enjoyed an overall record of 399 wins, 25 losses, and 3 ties. Yet it isn’t the wins, or records, or trophies, or championships that make Bob Ladouceur great;

Coach Lad, as he is affectionately called by his players, has always loved coaching high school football. In his prior life, He had worked as a probation officer but his job brought him mostly frustration because he felt he was getting these young men too late to help them. He believed he had no affect on their lives. But high school, he said, gave him the best opportunity to do something of value, even saying once in an interview, “that he believed he had the most important job in the country, molding young men”. In the process of molding these young men Ladouceur built a dynasty but ironically he never focused on winning. He said they won because he emphasized doing things right. The Spartans “out worked” every team they played so as a result, they beat every team they played. But in Ladouceur’s own words, and the words of his players, “the Spartans didn’t win just because of their hard work, they worked hard and won because of their love for one another”.

That’s right, Love. He wrote about this in a letter titled “What is a Spartan?” A copy of this letter was given to each member of his 1998 National Championship Team and it was later published in a local newspaper in response to all the criticism of his winning program. In the letter the coach wrote:

It’s upsetting in so much that (the criticism) questions the integrity of school officials and coaches sworn to uphold the ideals of our founder St. La Salle. What’s worse, it completely nullifies the hard work, sheer grit and determination of our student athletes at De La Salle. Society has its share of pessimists and sceptics, many believe that success cannot be achieved without dishonesty. It’s hard for them to see our success and not assume that it was achieved by cheating, stealing, or just blind luck. But I don’t care what society believes. I know the truth and I sleep every night with a clear conscience.

He goes on to use words like “commitment, relationship, responsibility, accountability, and trust.” He speaks of being vulnerable and of the self-reflective process in which real growth can occur.I wish I had a coach like that. You may wonder if he personally walked the walk or just talked the talk or maybe saying one thing when the cameras were rolling, and another once they were packed up and gone? Here is your answer, current rival and former De La Salle player Patrick Walsh, recently weighed in on who Ladouceur truly was; “Coach Lad is one of the most important people who I’ve ever come across in my life,” Walsh said. “I’m thankful that my mom and dad paid the tuition and sent me to De La Salle and gave me the opportunity to meet a guy like Bob Ladouceur, who’s affected my life profoundly.” Walsh, a 1993 De La Salle graduate who ran for over 2,000 yards his senior season, gushes about Ladouceur. “Outside of my mom, my dad and my faith, just being a spiritual individual and believing in God, he’s next.” The quotes and accolades from former players to Super Bowl winning head coaches are too long to list, but his impact will not be fully measured in this life.

By now you may be asking yourself “What does all this mean to me?” I’m glad you asked. In his letter, “What is a Spartan?” Ladouceur quotes Jesus Christ and the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30, he then concludes with this:

The assumption here, is that each of us has some sort of ability: talent. Now it’s our responsibility to discover what that is and what’s more, have the courage to use it.

I know most of us won’t be called to coach football, but I believe that if each of us will commit to using our talents humbly…Psalm 25:9, and courageously…1 Cor 16:13, we have no idea how far God will take us…Ephesians 3:20.

Just ask a retired Spartan, who just wanted to make a difference in the lives of a few young men….

Yep…True Greatness…

Albert Gardner, great contribution…thank you.

Until next time guys…

Ironman Strength…the 2012 year in review

Posted: December 30, 2012 in Just for Fun
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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 6,600 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 11 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

The Best Gift Ever

Posted: December 28, 2012 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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As I sit back and watch this Christmas season play itself out, I am reminded of a verse I read recently in Ecclesiastes of all places; it says,

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11.

What does this verse have to do with Christmas? Nothing and yet everything, because I believe it provides a glance at the magnitude of God as well as something we have talked about before in this blog…eternity in heaven. And what does that have to do with Christmas? Well, frankly everything, because if you really think about it, we have already been given the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus. What could possibly be better than that?

So why do I pick now, the middle of Christmas season, to remind you…? Because, as this Christmas Season continues to progress with the scramble for gifts, fighting crowds, traffic jams, music, decorations and the like I just can’t help wonder what God thinks about all of this? Well, actually, I already know what God thinks. He doesn’t care…What I mean is…He doesn’t care about the business of decorating, or gift giving, or Christmas Carols, What He cares about…is your heart (and…I have proof). Do you remember back in the Old Testament when God was looking for a new King to replace Saul? If you recall, God decided on David for many reasons but when He sent Samuel to find him He said;

…Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him (Saul). The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7.

Guys, if there is one thing I hope you understand it is that God is NOT like you and me. He doesn’t think or act like a human being. As mentioned above in Samuel, He does not care what you look like on the outside, but rather what your heart looks like on the inside. The only way you can gain access to the “eternity that is set in your heart” as stated above in Ecclesiastes, is to set your eyes on Him…especially during Christmas.

Christmases will come and go, for years and years and one thing will still stand true throughout…You CANNOT get to eternity in your own. However, 2000 years ago, God came in the form of a baby to save you and me from certain death. All you have to do is to…trust and believe with all of your heart…God will do the rest.

Let me leave you with one more thought:

Recently, some kindergarten students were asked to share their definition of love at Christmas time…This one from Bobby, age 7, was my favorite…

Love is what is in the room at Christmas when you stop opening presents and just listen…

From all of us here  @IronmanStrength,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…

The Magic of Christmas?

Posted: December 10, 2012 in Devotional, Inspirational
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This post is probably not going to be what you thought based upon the title but frankly…I think it fits…

Let’s start off with a question…Have you ever been to Disneyland? I’m sure you probably have. In fact I would say that 75% of Americas population has been to one of those parks and there is a reason for that…it is a GREAT place to go. In fact, it is the “happiest place on earth” right? Have you ever seen a television commercial for Disney? In 30-60 seconds, you are taken on a magical journey to a place where happiness abounds and dreams come true. Years ago, I saw my children gaze longingly towards the television for several minutes after one of these commercials ended and I have to say…I don’t blame them! Who wouldn’t want to go to place like that? Just for a little while to be taken away into a different world…filled with characters and music and nothing but fun. A place that can completely overwhelm ones expectations because you have to admit that just looking forward to a Disneyland trip might be the best part of the vacation…unless…

Have you ever been to Disneyland on a busy day?…thousands of people with small children…Long lines, long days, hot weather and rides that are closed. Is this really the happiest place on earth? Please don’t take me wrong…I am not complaining about Disney at all, I am focusing on an ideal that our world puts out there for us to swallow which is this promise of magic or an experience that will somehow take us someplace better that is more fulfilling? They want you to believe there is a place on earth that can actually provide you contentment or happiness…or maybe just temporary happiness? Does anyone really think that is possible?

Then we have Christmas. Christmas for children is truly amazing. Why? Because of their expectations. Expectations are what create the feeling of excitement inside all of them and causes them to look forward to that exciting day of waking up and opening presents. But that is the kid side of things…what about the adult side? Does anyone really feel the way we did when we were children at Christmas time? Probably a big NO right? Why is that? Why can’t we experience the joy we had as kids anymore? For me, over time, I began to believe that somehow if I could just get that one “thing” I wanted…somehow it could make me feel different but as was always the case, it never worked. I was always left with this strange, empty feeling inside…The overall anticipation of Christmas “stuff” was never able to satisfy me inside…deep…at my core…WHY?… Because loving other stuff could not bear the weight of my expectations. My expectations of what this world can provide have always fallen short of my deepest satisfactions. I can assure you, any feeling of elation I may have had at the time was only temporary.

So if the stuff of this world can’t fulfill what we need…the question is, how do we fill that empty void we get at this time of year? Hopefully, my reasons pointed you towards an understanding that neither Disneyland, nor presents under a tree, nor anything else this world can offer can fill your void completely. The void WILL still exist once the “new” wears off…

Did you know you were created in his image and therefore are wired for heavenly things? As you have probably already experienced…you cannot fill that void yourself. No matter how many times you go to Disneyland…you will still feel the same afterwards…temporary satisfaction….For anyone to truly experience the magic and the essence of Christmas, you must accept the greatest gift of all…the gift of Salvation. Christ provides it to all of us who will simply receive it…It is absolutely free but with a condition. Christ requires that you believe in Him…that’s it…Acts 16:31 says:

“…Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…”

I challenge all of you this Christmas…don’t fall victim to this world’s illusive pursuit of contentment and joy because you WILL NOT find it…no matter where you look…anything you find can, and WILL only be a temporary feeling…I challenge you this year to delight yourself in Christ (Psalms 37:4) and not in a quest to fill your emptiness…we already know how that story ends…

Until next time guys…

From all of us here at @Ironmanstrength

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…

Is “good enough”, good enough, to get to Heaven?

Posted: November 17, 2012 in Heaven Bound
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I came home from work the other day and my wife and 10-year-old son were discussing a boy in his class at school. The subject of the conversation was this young man was apparently very intelligent to the point of being a prodigy. He leads by a large margin in every fourth grade category that exists. Moreover, he is an excellent little athlete which in our world today, kind of completes the “package”…if you will. My wife was commenting on how he won’t really have any barriers growing up because he is so smart. He will be able to pick and choose what and where he wants to go in his life…my comment back to her was, “you are absolutely right, according to this world’s standards this boy has the opportunity to be very successful and go as far as he can achieve…but will all that intelligence get him into heaven” and the reality is…absolutely not. No matter how smart you are, or how good of a person you are…none of that matters when we finally get to meet God face to face. So the question is, “when is good enough, good enough to get to heaven?”

The easy answer is never and this blog is over…but there is an intelligent answer as to why this is so. You see like the young man I described above, some of us are smarter than others or have more athletic talent than someone else. The fact that science recently confirmed the existence of Higgs boson, or “the God Particle” reinforces the fact that science is expanding at a very rapid rate in our lifetime. In other words, we are getting smarter exponentially everyday. Additionally, the mere existence of every different kind of professional sports today and the rapid advancement of our athletes incredible abilities on the field of play also shows all of the barriers we humans are continually breaking…

But yet through all of these amazing accomplishments my question is, “how do we know they are amazing accomplishments?” Aren’t we simply comparing them to human feats of the past? In other words, we only have each other to compare one another against. We don’t compare ourselves to God because that is kind of impossible…yet with God, the bar is raised higher than we can achieve. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So that means no matter how far we reach up and work to make ourselves amazing before God, we won’t get there on our own. Our “good enough” isn’t good enough.

Christ is speaking in Mark 7:20-23, He went on: What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.

We are born into this sinful, unclean world with no way of saving ourselves and people who rely on their “goodness” only as a way forward, are deluded.

Mark 10:17-23: As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Bottom line is we need rescuing from this world we live in but we can’t simply go along in life thinking good enough is good enough. God is after the faithful or good friends…NOT good rebels. Whose side are you on?

The opposite can be in fact, true. Good people do go to hell; bad people go to heaven but those who think they are “good” and rely on that alone, will be lost. The key is, knowing you are lost. By recognizing that you can’t get to heaven on your own and that you need to receive forgiveness from Christ first…well that my friend will ensure your stay at Gods Heavenly Hilton…and your own eternal life.

Until next time guys…

The Cookie Thief…

Posted: October 28, 2012 in Just for Fun
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Have you ever had one of those moments when you thought one thing and the situation turned out entirely the opposite? I mean completely 180 degrees different from what you thought it would be like? What was your reaction…well besides dumbfounded? Sometimes those experiences can be extremely humbling…or at least they should be. But they do happen don’t they? and I think God has a tremendous sense of humor when it comes to some situations. It almost feels like he dangles a carrot right out there in front…right where we can see it…and for some find it to difficult to resist…

What I have for you this time is a little different from what I have ever posted before. This is a poem about just that very instance when you truly think one thing and something else happens…I did not write this and I’m not sure who did but nevertheless I present to you guys…The Cookie Thief…

A woman was waiting at an airport one night with several hours before her flight.

She hunted for a book in the airport shop, bought a bag of cookies and looked for a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see that the man beside her, as bold as could be, grabbed a cookie or two from the bag which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

She munched cookies and watched the clock as the gutsy “cookie thief” dismissed her stock.

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “if I wasn’t so nice, I’d blacken his eye!”

With each cookie she took he took one too, with only one left she wondered what he’d do.

With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought, “Oh brother”, this guy has some nerve and he’s also rude. He didn’t even show any gratitude.

She had never known when she’d been so galled and sighed with relief when her flight was called.

She gathered her belongings and headed toward the gate, never looking back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, then sought out her book which was almost complete.

As she reached in her bag she gasped in surprise, there were her cookies in front of her eyes.

“If mine are here,” she moaned with despair, “then the others were his and he tried to share!”

Too late to apologize she realized with grief that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief…

I hope you enjoyed…

Until next time guys…

Why would a good God send people to hell?

Posted: October 7, 2012 in Devotional, Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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I am Not a theologian and never will be and for that reason, I get frustrated when I don’t know answers to certain questions raised about God. The title of this blog post is, ”Why would a good God send people to hell’? I have heard that question brought up to me many times before and for years it has frustrated me to no end. I mean really? How could God allow that to happen? Good people in hell makes no sense. But then as time has passed, I have begun to understand more about who our God is, which in turn has clarified some answers.

When you ask questions using the word “why” you need to go back to the original source and determine what you don’t understand…How could God allow good people to go to hell? To me, we need to begin with God and who HE is to try to answer this question. There must be reasons why He acts and behaves as He does rather than just what I see here on Earth. What I’ve discovered is there are reasons which cause God to be who He is…I’ve just never investigated them before…

Let’s start with Holy. I never really understood this word but yet when applied to God, our creator, all the reasons are completely clarified. Here is what I mean; God is completely Holy and good and it is His character that decides what is right and wrong. That perfect character He puts forth is what dictates our world and how we are to behave. In other words, that is how inherently we know that killing is bad and helping our neighbor is good. It is in our DNA. Yet why is there so much killing in this world? The answer is simple… Satan is alive and well and he seeks to devour all that he can:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Satan is working just as hard to distract you as God is trying to get your attention.

Moreover…God is a very Holy being and He is bound by that holiness to react in a certain manner…that means He HATES sin… He hates to see it, smell it or even be around it (read Mark 9:42-47). But yet you and I reek with it? We are born into it and without the saving salvation of Jesus Christ, stink to the outskirts of heaven of it…Have I made my point?

Let’s summarize quickly at this point:

1. We learned God is Holy

2. Holy means God must behave according to His perfect character.

3. Holy means God can’t be around sin.

Now, for those of you who did not know, God did solve the problem of sin for us by sending His blameless son Jesus, to take our place as a sacrifice for our sin committed.

So try to understand things this way, because God is holy, He MUST judge everyone according to His perfect character and because He is perfect, His judgments are fair and right.

Let’s keep going. As mentioned previously, Jesus came to this earth to solve the sin sacrifice issue but He is also the most loving person who ever lived, but yet it is He who teaches us the most about the reality of hell. Why? because Jesus knows hell is a very real thing and He doesn’t want us to suffer the inevitable consequences of our rebellion against God. What is that rebellion you ask? Rebellion is having sin in your life and NOT doing anything about it…living in sin is rebellion against God…why? Because God is holy…

Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

Heaven and hell are actually defined by a relationship. Heaven is enjoying the amazing gifts of a Father and more importantly, being with Him. Hell is the absence of His blessings; love, communion, presence, beauty etc.

Simply put; Heaven is being with our holy God and Hell is being apart from Him.

Think about that for a moment. The closest thing to Heaven on earth is to have a relationship with Him and to feel the His presence in our lives.

Hell on earth is simply the opposite of everything GOD.

So now that we understand a little more about the God we serve I must make this statement to you and ask this question;

If we truly understood how absolutely holy God is, we shouldn’t be asking the question why would a good God send people to hell…the real question should be…

How can God allow anyone into Heaven?

Bottom line…going to heaven or hell is a choice WE get to make while here upon this earth. God doesn’t send good people to hell…they get to make that decision for themselves…

Until next time guys…

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