Forgiving God

Forgiving God

Forgiveness is something that Jesus told us is of supreme value.  God forgives us so we are to forgive others.  Jesus even says that if we don't forgive others, God doesn't forgive us.  We forgive when we have been wronged.  We forgive when we have been hurt by someone.  Is there ever a time when we need to forgive God?

At first thought the very idea of forgiving God is something that goes against our spiritual sensibilities.  God doesn't wrong us, so why should we forgive him.  Who are we to think that we can forgive God? 

Forgiving God needs to happen when we feel hurt by God.  Even though the Lord never wrongs us, he does allow painful experiences to happen in our lives.  He, in effect, hurts us.  This hurt can cause resentment in our feelings toward God which of course blocks our friendship relationship with him.  "Forgiving God" means coming to grips with the fact that God "leads us into temptation" (but does not tempt us, as God does not tempt man to sin) so that we might be strengthened in our faith.  It has to do more with resolving our feelings of resentment through overlooking God's actions, than actually "forgiving" God.  We accept God for doing what we do not accept in other people because he is God.  I do not accept when others bring pain into my life.  I hold them guilty.  But God is able to use these painful episodes, to cause growth in me. 

There are times when my father allowed me to go through things that caused me to learn lessons.  At the time I resented my father for allowing these things to happen tome.  But in hindsight, I see that he needed to let me experience the consequences of my actions so I would learn.  It is this realization that my father did something valuable for me that allows me to excuse him or overlook his actions toward me. 

It is the same with my heavenly father.  When I realize that all of the pain I am suffering here on earth will be over when I experience the fullness of salvation when I am glorified in heaven, helps me to overlook, "to forgive", God for what he must lead me through to help me to grow. 

All relationships must be kept free of bitterness and resentment through forgiving our those who hurt us.  Our relationship with God is similar in that we too must deal with and resolve the bitterness, anger, resentment and other hard feelings that we have toward God so that our relationship through faith, will grow richer and more intimate.  We do "forgive" God for allowing painful experiences in our lives.  But we do not forgive him for having wronged us for the Lord never wrongs us.  But just as Job resolved his bitter and angry feelings toward God through gazing anew at his wonders, so we can "forgive" God when we realize our own ignorance in comparison with God's surpassing knowledge.  Then we can once again enjoy and rejoice in our God who loves us and cares for us enough to disciple us through pain. 

Paul Luedtke

Nyon, Switzerland

Stages of Faith

A friend recently asked whether I had heard of James Fowler, saying he was reading a lot about him. My friend included an article my Mr. Fowler on “Stages of Faith” (see http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/fowler.htm ). The rest of this won’t make sense until you read it. I found it interesting, but I immediately flipped into my Counseling Pschology mode and responded to my friend with the following.

“No I've not heard of him but it appears that his book come out in 1981. (Fowler, James W. (1981). Stages of Faith, Harper & Row ISBN 0-06-062866-9).

It is difficult to evaluate his theory since the article is completely devoid of any research data, references etc. It appears to be a psychological thesis, which is fine. But as one who firmly believes in the integration of psychology and theology (general revelation and special revelation), I would like to see him actually interact with both the psychological theory and reseearch on the topic of faith was well as the the biblical explanation of faith i.e. what it is, how it is formed, who it is formed in etc. He doesn't really do this. He lightly refers to Biblical sections without really doing the theological work. I do realize that this is a synopsis of his views. But to really know the value of this article, one would have to go much deeper into his research.

I did find a rather critical view of his work in the Wikipedia
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stages_of_faith_development ). After reading it, I would counsel caution on too quickly accepting his ideas.

Having said this, I do believe that within human development, faith does progress. Information about God, usually precedes any sort of faith, although many seem to react directly to the "sense of the numinous" and begin believing in something bigger than themselves. The simple ability of a child to believe in a Jesus who loves him/her, saves him/her and what's him/her to be in heaven with him is hardly the faith of a 60 year old who has interacted with much more information, experiences, traumas, and realities. When a child passes through adolescence, the process of individuation usually causes a "crisis of faith" where the child must decide if he/she is going to believe in the faith of his parents or his church, or if he/she is going to believe for themselves.

Someone who is confronted with the existence of God either intuitively or externally usually goes through a process. I think the Engel's Scale (see
http://guide.gospelcom.net/resources/engel.php ) while a bit dated, does show a progression of thinking and information as a person comes to faith and develops in faith. I think there is validity in this.

Faith, I think, is ultimately a matter of believing in God (Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.") in the way he has revealed himself. That is what I hope to point people toward."