Yesterday Sister Selinna wrote to us saying, “Due to the pandemic, I haven’t found a job after the lockdown was lifted. What's worse, my husband fell ill recently. We used to attend gatherings regularly and read God’s words. Why do we still encounter such things? Why doesn't God protect and bless us? I'm a little weak now and even loath to attend gatherings. I don't know how to undergo this environment.”
Reply: Sister Selinna, the reason why we have this thought is that our faith is for the sake of blessings and grace. Does this view fit with God's will? Let us first look at a passage of God's words.
God says, “So many believe in Me only that I might heal them. So many believe in Me only that I might use My powers to drive unclean spirits out from their bodies, and so many believe in Me simply that they might receive peace and joy from Me. So many believe in Me only to demand from Me greater material wealth. So many believe in Me just to spend this life in peace and to be safe and sound in the world to come. So many believe in Me to avoid the suffering of hell and to receive the blessings of heaven. So many believe in Me only for temporary comfort, yet do not seek to gain anything in the world to come. When I brought down My fury upon man and seized all the joy and peace he once possessed, man became doubtful. When I gave unto man the suffering of hell and reclaimed the blessings of heaven, man’s shame turned into anger. When man asked Me to heal him, I paid him no heed and felt abhorrence toward him; man departed from Me to instead seek the way of evil medicine and sorcery. When I took away all that man had demanded from Me, everyone disappeared without a trace. Thus, I say that man has faith in Me because I give too much grace, and there is far too much to gain.”
God’s words reveal that our motivation and purpose of believing in God is to receive grace and blessings from Him. Once we encounter adversities or hardships instead of gaining what we want in the process of believing in God, we still blame God, and we are even reluctant to pray or attend gatherings to worship God. This shows that our belief in God is impure and unable to withstand the test. Therefore, such belief cannot be approved of by God.
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