Why Are Things So Difficult Today?

It's human nature to want to know the answer to "Why?" It's a question four-year-olds ask incessantly. It's a question adults cry out when tragedies occur. If an acceptable reason can't be found, then we begin to look for something or someone to blame. Many times, people blame God, and then wonder why a merciful God would let bad things happen.

It may help to remember that God gives us trials to make us realize our dependence on Him.

If you don't consider that to be an acceptable reason, consider this - as a nation, we've confused "faith" and "religion." Faith is belief; Religion is an organized system of beliefs. The Constitution of the United States of America provides a clause stating there should not be a national "religion" - but faith in a higher power is fundamental to existence.

When we say that we need to "Do the right thing," belief in a higher power is the only way to know what the "right" thing is. It takes moral development to understand what's right from what's wrong, and morality requires a basis in faith.

This helps to explain why our nation's government can't "help" us, even though intentions are good. Government's role is to make laws and enforce them to keep order. There are only three commandments which are the basis of our nation's laws, namely: don't steal, don't kill, and don't bear false witness, or, more bluntly, don't lie. All the other commandments deal with matters dealing with one's relationship with God.

Government should be small...small enough to provide a framework in which we can live. Faith, on the other hand, is the way in which we should live. Separation of Church and State? Yes! Separation of Faith and State is a recipe for disaster. Faith is where the concept of "care" takes root, since caring cannot be legalized.

So, worship God, and there is room for you here - Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu. Worshiping anything else makes you a threat to society. That's the deception of evil - it looks good. If it didn't, it wouldn't be tempting, now would it? Things that appear to be good and serve our sense of self may be deceptions. It's one of the reasons why there is no outcry against injustice until what we perceive as an injustice affect us personally.

It is true that God has blessed me, just as He has blessed every one of us, every one of His creations. But He didn't bless me because I'm me; He's blessed me with particular gifts so that I can help others with those gifts to foster their gifts. We are God's hands on this earth - and that's some important work to do.

Why do we need God? It's the only place we can find abundance in a world of vanishing resources.