Why?

[CaliGirl341]

Please tell me..why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes I wonder what has this person or that person ever done to deserve what they get? Basically right now I'm in this spot of this life..my life..where I'm not satisfied with what I know or what I see infront of me...Why am I here? Why is anyone here? I do believe there is some kind of hole in every single person..an emptiness that we have a passion to fill..we strive for it..and thats when people fill it up with all sorts of things..maybe friends..family..their job.their education..or money..when they come to find out it's just not good enough..it's never going to be enough, the emptiness is always going to be there..and that is something that time has told me..because that same emptiness has always been there..Only some people choose to ignore it and live with what they see or what they have..or those certain things they still want. But its something I can't ignore because it runs my life. And I feel like everything I've tried..everything I tried to tell or convince myself just never quite cut it. It's hard..and I don't know why I'm here..why anyone is here...what's the point really? That is why i have to tell myself there has to be more than this..more than this earth we call home..a heaven. I don't believe we're born, we just live out this life then die..because if that were the case then what would be the point?? yeah maybe you'll change someones life but their going to die too..I do believe theres a God otherwise who the hell am I trying to please? Who would I be living for?? Not myself..if I was just living for myself that would be dumb because I'm going to die! We're all going to die and that would be the end of it..I would like to believe there's much more than that. Because deep down I have to believe everyone is here for a purpose..a purpose that we're suppose to fulfill...I just don't know where I'm suppose to be going..where I should be headed. But you know if I look at the bigger picture..what about those who believe their own things? Like Buddhism for example..what if they were raised into that religion and they were taught and believe their way of life..their way of living is the right way..the only way..just like we believe that in Christianity..and that their god is real? Then what about them? What about those people?? I just do not understand...What makes our religion so right? So right where it's the only way. There's are hundreds of religions if not thousands out there and billions and billions of people..so how can this God expect every single person to believe this oNe religion out of the hundreds? While were trying to convince the world that our beliefs are the way so is every other religion like Mormans..What if someone served their whole life worshipping a false god? Did they know any better? If that's the way they were raised then their passions their goals in life..why are they looked down on by us? And please tell me why they deserve to go to hell for eternity..?? Wow i just do not understand..and another thing why would such a loving god send someone to burn forever?? i don't think anyone really deserves that especially under some circumstances like the one i mentioned earlier..and now your probably going to tell me it takes faith..and i understand that..but what if everyone has faith in their own thing?? And how much faith does it take really..because we're basing our lives on a book..I'm really not trying to skeptical..I mean i was raised in a Christian family my whole life..but i have to wonder these things..and I'm not trying to like crack the code on life..but i think its only fair to try to somewhat understand this whole thing..the funny thing is that all this just hit me..and sure you can say its the devil giving me doubts..but try to look at what i'm saying..what i'm saying does have sense behind it..if you read this far..thank you for your time..

 

[Windmill]

Well, first of all, no one is going to hell for eternity. Show me one bible verse where it says that! sinners will cease to exist. Thats it. They will not be tortured forever, so do not worry about that

I'm not like, a bible scholar. But still. These questions. They're there, I know. What makes me so special? (In particular, I asked myself that question in regards to my denomination) so I looked into my options. Christianity, the real christianity, straight down through the appositles, has had some amazing times, some amazing phropecy fufiled (not just flimsey stuff, exact dates predicted) etc etc.

If you do believe in the bible, then those other questions are somewhat invalid... the bible says God is fair. That obviously means whatever God does is fair. You just gotta have faith. OR, alternatively, be less lazy like me and read this:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2002/death_suffering.asp

infact, you've inspired me to read it

 

[Johnnz]

You are on a spiritual search. Great. Why Christianity? I am a convinced Christian because it gives me the most complete and satisfactory understanding of life as a whole. There is also a very sound basis for belief, especially regarding the person of Jesus, who He was and why believe in Him.

Feel free to PM me if you want to ask questions, or whatever.

John
NZ

 

[DIVA_for_Christ]

QUOTE=CaliGirl341]Please tell me..why do bad things happen to good people? Sometimes I wonder what has this person or that person ever done to deserve what they get?

Well I can only answer based on my own experiences and the way I see things. Before I was saved and bad things happened to me I believed God hated me and had it out for me.

Now that I’m saved, I realized that some of those bad things God allowed not because He hated me but because He loved me and He was trying to get my attention. Some of the other bad things happened to me because of things I previously did and God was cleaning up my mess, making me face things that I’ve done so I could be cleansed of those things.

Then there were bad things that happened to me and I did nothing to bring them onto myself, but God allowed those things to happen to increase my faith and shut the enemy up. It touched my heart to learn that not only does God wants me to have faith in Him, but He has faith in me to do the right thing during tests and trials.

Basically right now I'm in this spot of this life..my life..where I'm not satisfied with what I know or what I see infront of me...Why am I here? Why is anyone here? I do believe there is some kind of hole in every single person..an emptiness that we have a passion to fill..we strive for it..and thats when people fill it up with all sorts of things..maybe friends..family..their job.their education..or money..when they come to find out it's just not good enough..it's never going to be enough, the emptiness is always going to be there..and that is something that time has told me..because that same emptiness has always been there..Only some people choose to ignore it and live with what they see or what they have..or those certain things they still want. But its something I can't ignore because it runs my life. And I feel like everything I've tried..everything I tried to tell or convince myself just never quite cut it. It's hard..and I don't know why I'm here..why anyone is here...what's the point really? That is why i have to tell myself there has to be more than this..more than this earth we call home..a heaven. I don't believe we're born, we just live out this life then die..because if that were the case then what would be the point?? yeah maybe you'll change someones life but their going to die too..I do believe theres a God otherwise who the hell am I trying to please? Who would I be living for?? Not myself..if I was just living for myself that would be dumb because I'm going to die! We're all going to die and that would be the end of it..I would like to believe there's much more than that. Because deep down I have to believe everyone is here for a purpose..a purpose that we're suppose to fulfill...I just don't know where I'm suppose to be going..where I should be headed. But you know if I look at the bigger picture..what about those who believe their own things? Like Buddhism for example..what if they were raised into that religion and they were taught and believe their way of life..their way of living is the right way..the only way..just like we believe that in Christianity..and that their god is real? Then what about them? What about those people?? I just do not understand...What makes our religion so right? So right where it's the only way. There's are hundreds of religions if not thousands out there and billions and billions of people..so how can this God expect every single person to believe this oNe religion out of the hundreds?

Through us, God is making His truth known to all of the nations. Once you are presented with the true living God, there is no denying Him. Those that do, reject Him and God does not force Himself on any of us. He wants us to choose to come to Him after we learn about Him.

While were trying to convince the world that our beliefs are the way so is every other religion like Mormans..What if someone served their whole life worshipping a false god? Did they know any better? If that's the way they were raised then their passions their goals in life..why are they looked down on by us? And please tell me why they deserve to go to hell for eternity..??

God cannot lie and because God said it He will do it. God always gives a person a chance to hear the truth, once they decide to reject Him, they have to deal with the consequences.

Wow i just do not understand..and another thing why would such a loving god send someone to burn forever?? i don't think anyone really deserves that especially under some circumstances like the one i mentioned earlier..and now your probably going to tell me it takes faith..and i understand that..but what if everyone has faith in their own thing??

The faith comes after you believe. If you refuse to believe in Jesus and reject Him, you then are rejected by God. However, God will always still accept us even if we've previously rejected Him a zillion times, if the zillion and 1 time we accept Jesus, we are saved.

Hell is a choice we make. Think of it this way, with your parents, they have certain rules that you have to obey, they tell you if you don't do this, this is what is going to happen. They prewarn you about being disobedient. If you decide to disobey even though you know what will happen to you, does that mean your parents don't love you anymore for going through with the punishment they prewarned you about??? Did they choose to put that punishment on you or did your disobedience cause it?

And how much faith does it take really..because we're basing our lives on a book..I'm really not trying to skeptical..I mean i was raised in a Christian family my whole life..but i have to wonder these things..and I'm not trying to like crack the code on life..but i think its only fair to try to somewhat understand this whole thing..the funny thing is that all this just hit me..and sure you can say its the devil giving me doubts..but try to look at what i'm saying..what i'm saying does have sense behind it..if you read this far..thank you for your time..[/QUOTE]

Our faith is increased with every experience we have with God. What does Jesus say about how much faith we need?

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."


God is calling you to a higher level in Him. That’s why you have so many questions. You are getting ready to be elevated spiritually. God wants a deeper, intimate, personal relationship with you. He desires for you to have your own experience with Him so that you wont have to depend on what you heard other people say, you will know for yourself.
Continue to seek Him and He will answer your questions in the order and manner that He knows is necessary.

Don’t allow anyone to discourage you or tell you that you are too young to do anything for God, because that is a lie. God can use anyone at any age.

God Bless you and in your seeking you will find Him and your purpose.

OBEDIENCE = Destiny Revealed

 

[bethdinsmore]

Thought like you might like to check out this website:
www.rbc.org/ds/q0106/ "Why would a good God allow suffering?"

And there is meaning to life. Once a person has trusted in Christ alone to be their sinbearer and to get them to Heaven one day, without any good works of their own, God begins to work in them.

Phil 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
(NIV)
Eph 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV) That's our purpose.

Need help finding your niche? Get in a good, busy church. Try a few things - see what God has gifted you with. (What you enjoy and where you get good results.) Maybe even take a spiritual gifts test.

This is where I minister, hours a day. I am isolated and use a wheelchair a lot, and God has given extra, eternal meaning to my life by being here. This is a good place at least where you could start.

God bless you friend. I'll pray for you. Aloha in Jesus

 

[Windmill]

If you want to find your spiritual gift, hop on over too the teen forum, and take the test I posted. It can help you heaps ^^ it helped me.

Yeah, I forgot to mention, through suffering, sometimes it strengthens us. Me and my friend, ARGH, we've been through some tough times, sometimes I've just wanted to punch him and go away. But when we get through them, our friendship is somewhat strengthen. Through pain, we gain strength. Plus, we also learn how to get through it. Sometimes, through our suffering, we're helping others. Inspiring others, maybe. Or else, after we get through it, we have wisom to help others.

Everything is done for a purpose! (Oh, and I read the article ^^)

 

[AnarKiss]

Please tell me..why do bad things happen to good people?

What makes our religion so right? So right where it's the only way.

And please tell me why they deserve to go to hell for eternity..??

You're asking questions. That puts you a step ahead of thousands of others who are so set in their convictions any alternative ray of truth is covered by pat answers.

Why do bad things happen to good people? In short, I dunno. It just seems to be the way life is. The cards in our hand are always surprising, and never seem fair at all. [The ultimate injustice is the millions of African kids born into extreme poverty and unlikely to live beyond their 5th birthday, while we sit tapping away at thousand dollar computers in comfortable, safe, well-fed surrounds. That is so not fair!]

What makes our religion so right...the only way? Nothing, and to claim that as Christians we have a monopoly on the truth of God is profoundly arrogant and simply wrong. The starting point of faith is humble questions - recognising that any glimpses of God we get on our journey is only a dim and distorted glimmer of the reality of God.

Why do they deserve to go to hell for eternity? They don't, anymore than anyone else. Ideas of "you're out, I'm in" are very selfish products of our own insecurity. God is love, and I can't see any loving father roasting his kids over a BBQ - regardless of how rebellious they've been.

Peace, and happy searchings

 

[just_dance]

I know right now you can feel him tugging at your heart.

You ask why a loving God would do thinks to good people. Easy he wants to get peoples attention.Have you thought of the end of times that is just to ge peoples attention. People here just won't listen. We all have a reason to be here. To witness to take a stand and to fight. Well you take up the torch with us and stand as a sister in our family. It is amssing to think of the 2 million people all beliving all worshiping.

Just look outside feel the wind on your skin take a look at the stars in a clear night. You can just feel his presence. He is there. Just close your eyes and jump right in. Let him take all you fears all you conserns.

 

[Davis]

You're asking questions. That puts you a step ahead of thousands of others who are so set in their convictions any alternative ray of truth is covered by pat answers.

Why do bad things happen to good people? In short, I dunno. It just seems to be the way life is. The cards in our hand are always surprising, and never seem fair at all. [The ultimate injustice is the millions of African kids born into extreme poverty and unlikely to live beyond their 5th birthday, while we sit tapping away at thousand dollar computers in comfortable, safe, well-fed surrounds. That is so not fair!]

What makes our religion so right...the only way? Nothing, and to claim that as Christians we have a monopoly on the truth of God is profoundly arrogant and simply wrong. The starting point of faith is humble questions - recognising that any glimpses of God we get on our journey is only a dim and distorted glimmer of the reality of God.

Why do they deserve to go to hell for eternity? They don't, anymore than anyone else. Ideas of "you're out, I'm in" are very selfish products of our own insecurity. God is love, and I can't see any loving father roasting his kids over a BBQ - regardless of how rebellious they've been.

Peace, and happy searchings

We do no its the way because of what Christ did for us.
Call it arrogant or what not but the Bible is the truth, God is truth, and what Christ did for us is truth. As a fellow believer I thought you would feel the same? Why do you think it is arrogant as a christian? Are you a Christian?

 

[DIVA_for_Christ]

You're asking questions. That puts you a step ahead of thousands of others who are so set in their convictions any alternative ray of truth is covered by pat answers.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Because they are tests which become our testimonies. There is power in testimonies. They encourage and give hope. God never puts more on us then we can bear. Who are we to think that we wont suffer when Jesus suffered?

God uses these things to draw us closer to Him.

In short, I dunno. It just seems to be the way life is. The cards in our hand are always surprising, and never seem fair at all. [The ultimate injustice is the millions of African kids born into extreme poverty and unlikely to live beyond their 5th birthday, while we sit tapping away at thousand dollar computers in comfortable, safe, well-fed surrounds. That is so not fair!]

Yes, it's heart breaking to see anyone suffer, especially the children. As Christians, that's our responsiblity. Instead of us complaining about things being unfair, we need to take action to change it.

If we aren't willing to do anything to correct a problem, we don't have a right to complain about it.

What makes our religion so right...the only way? Nothing, and to claim that as Christians we have a monopoly on the truth of God is profoundly arrogant and simply wrong.

Wow, are you saying God, His word, the sacrifice Jesus made is all wrong???

See the problem is we get so caught up in "religion" that we miss God. Religious traditions mean nothing. Our relationship with Christ is what counts and once we have a relationship, we understand that He is the way, the truth and the life.

The starting point of faith is humble questions - recognising that any glimpses of God we get on our journey is only a dim and distorted glimmer of the reality of God.

Why do they deserve to go to hell for eternity? They don't, anymore than anyone else. Ideas of "you're out, I'm in" are very selfish products of our own insecurity. God is love, and I can't see any loving father roasting his kids over a BBQ - regardless of how rebellious they've been.

Going to hell is our choice. God makes Himself available to each one of us in His timing and in His way. To say someone doesn't deserve to go to hell is not a claim any of us can make. For going to hell is the choice they made when they continually rejected Jesus.

God tells us plainly to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. If we reject Jesus we reject God and when we die, we will spend eternity in hell.

In the center of our obedience we are to die to self. Interesting thing, God prewarns us that if we decide not to walk in obedience and reject Jesus well will surely die and be hell bound. This is way He says obedience is better than sacrifice.

Now its amazing to me that God makes it plain as day that in the center of our obedience we are to die. Look at how the word is spelled OBEDIENCE. Die is right in the middle.

He gives us the choice on how we want to die. Either die to self or die spiritually. Hell is a choice we make.

Peace, and happy searchings

Just like a good parent, you give your kids boundaries and once those boundaries are crossed, consequences must be paid.

God loves us unconditionally and He gives us way to many chances to get things right because of His awesome grace and mercy. So please don't blame God when people decide that they want nothing to do with Him.

Would you force yourself on someone to make them love you?

Crazy thing is none of us have that ability, but God does, yet He doesn't force us to love Him. He wants us to love Him on our own.

 

[KellyLeigh]

I read an example in a book that illustrated this question so well and just made my heart feel lighter. People have "bad" things happen to them because we as humans do not know and can never fully understand God's will and plan for us. God will never give us more than we can handel and if He brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

But anyway, the illustration I read that I liked so much...

It told the story of a young girl who was walking along the meadow picking flowers when she suddenly stepped into a small hole and broke her ankle. She wasn't doing anything wrong, she was only about 5 or 6, and yet she broke her ankle pretty severly. To an ordinary person this may seem very unfair, but we can not see everything the way God can. What no one knew was that up ahead was a deadly snake ready to attack and sink his poison into this young girls leg. WHile it may seem that yes she did suffer unfairly from a broken ankle, when seeing the whole picture and how God views everything you see that God was actually looking out for this little girl the way He looks out for each and every one of us every day.

I hope that helped. I know this story helped me deal with questions like that a lot.

 

[Skinster007]

Well, first of all, no one is going to hell for eternity. Show me one bible verse where it says that! sinners will cease to exist. Thats it. They will not be tortured forever, so do not worry about that

Hell is fire....

Matt. 18:8-9, "And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal fire. 9"And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into the fiery hell."

The fire is eternal.....

Matt. 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.

There is eternal punishment.....

Matt. 25:46, "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The word 'eternal' in both places is "aionios" which means 1)without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be; 2)without beginning; 3)without end, never to cease, everlasting. The word 'punishment' is the word kolasis and it means "to punish, with the implication of resulting severe suffering - 'to punish, punishment.'

 

[Stinker]

Why are there so many different world religions? Because after the Flood ...."though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds, and four-footed animals and crawling creatures." (Romans 1:21-23)

 

[TempDunno]

Christianity, the real christianity, straight down through the appositles, has had some amazing times, some amazing phropecy fufiled (not just flimsey stuff, exact dates predicted) etc etc.

Can you or anyone tell me one or two prophecies with their exact dates that were mentioned in the bible and were fulfilled in a way so that there is any knowledge about them from any other source but the bible? I've heard of that but up to now I don't know any such prophecy.

 

[TempDunno]

But anyway, the illustration I read that I liked so much...

It told the story of a young girl who was walking along the meadow picking flowers when she suddenly stepped into a small hole and broke her ankle. She wasn't doing anything wrong, she was only about 5 or 6, and yet she broke her ankle pretty severly. To an ordinary person this may seem very unfair, but we can not see everything the way God can. What no one knew was that up ahead was a deadly snake ready to attack and sink his poison into this young girls leg. WHile it may seem that yes she did suffer unfairly from a broken ankle, when seeing the whole picture and how God views everything you see that God was actually looking out for this little girl the way He looks out for each and every one of us every day.

I hope that helped. I know this story helped me deal with questions like that a lot.

This story appears rather weird to me.
A little girl walks along a meadow where a snake is. So to save the little girl from getting bitten by the snake, God creates a hole for the girl to step in and break her ankle, let her cry in pain and suffer for several days, only to make her unable to walk further along this meadow, so that she cannot meet the snake.

I beg your Pardon!

Wouldn't it be much easier for the almighty God to send a few butterflies to distract the little girl and lead her away from the snake? That's what I would have done and that's what I would expect from a God that feels some love for His creatures, especially for innocent children.

And by the way, pain is not such a big problem - but Death is. What did God probably feel for the little children that were ripped from their parents and were drowned during the tsunami flood? Or maybe survived while their parents were drowned? Where was his love and grace, then?

D. :o

 

[DIVA_for_Christ]

This story appears rather weird to me.
A little girl walks along a meadow where a snake is. So to save the little girl from getting bitten by the snake, God creates a hole for the girl to step in and break her ankle, let her cry in pain and suffer for several days, only to make her unable to walk further along this meadow, so that she cannot meet the snake.

I beg your Pardon!

Wouldn't it be much easier for the almighty God to send a few butterflies to distract the little girl and lead her away from the snake? That's what I would have done and that's what I would expect from a God that feels some love for His creatures, especially for innocent children.


And by the way, pain is not such a big problem - but Death is.

So then what's the problem that you have with God in the story with the girl breaking her ankle and being in pain? Had she of been bitten by the snake she would have died.

What did God probably feel for the little children that were ripped from their parents and were drowned during the tsunami flood? Or maybe survived while their parents were drowned? Where was his love and grace, then?

His love, grace, mercy, comfort, etc was right with them keeping them so they could go on, for they survived. Death is never easy and it's always hard to deal with especially when it's a sudden tragedy. But God always sustains us and heals the hurt.

D. :o

I love too down to God in praise and worship.

 

[TempDunno]

And by the way, pain is not such a big problem - but Death is.

So then what's the problem that you have with God in the story with the girl breaking her ankle and being in pain? Had she of been bitten by the snake she would have died.

The Problem is that I (a mortal human) know a better solution than the one that was said to be used by God. What would that make me? Or what would that make God?
(I guess the story was made up, hence my use of "said to be used" and "would".)

What did God probably feel for the little children that were ripped from their parents and were drowned during the tsunami flood? Or maybe survived while their parents were drowned? Where was his love and grace, then?

His love, grace, mercy, comfort, etc was right with them keeping them so they could go on, for they survived. Death is never easy and it's always hard to deal with especially when it's a sudden tragedy.

Then why did He let some children drown and let their parents be left behind, and why didn't He save the parents of the children that survived? Perhaps you didn't see my point: Both types of incident happened during the recent tsunami flood.

But God always sustains us and heals the hurt.

Always? So why did He create so much tragedy, sorrow and pain at first - while the victims are children, too? What kind of cure can you imagine that heals Death?

D.

 

[If Not For Grace]

If they did not then we would deserve all the bad things that happen...How much good would be in your life if you had to earn it?

 

[DIVA_for_Christ]

The Problem is that I (a mortal human) know a better solution than the one that was said to be used by God. What would that make me? Or what would that make God?

You’ve identified the problem. You can not compare apples to oranges and expect to get the same thing. Nor can any of us compare ourselves (mortal humans) to God (an immortal Spirit).and think that any solution made up by man is better than God’s solution. God knows all things.

Lucifer thought that way and we all know what happened to him – he got kicked out of heaven.

(I guess the story was made up, hence my use of "said to be used" and "would".)

Then why did He let some children drown and let their parents be left behind, and why didn't He save the parents of the children that survived? Perhaps you didn't see my point: Both types of incident happened during the recent tsunami flood.

I saw your point and yes, it was a tragedy. However, I understand that I’m not God and I can’t and don’t see the big picture, but I know that through all of the hurt and pain, He’s still a good God.

Always? So why did He create so much tragedy, sorrow and pain at first - while the victims are children, too? What kind of cure can you imagine that heals Death?

Man and their sin is what brought all of the hurt and sorrow into the world. When a person has God in their life they understand that God turns everything that the enemy means for bad too good. As a Christian I know that to be absent from the body (death) is to be present with the Lord (healed from all hurt, pain and sorrow).

D.

If you have any other questions, please PM me. I don’t want our conversation to be labeled as a debate. Especially when that’s not my intent.

I see that you are a seeker and I pray that in your seeking you find Jesus.

 

[brotherjim]

To whomever (since it has been 3 weeks since the thread was started):

Please tell me..why do bad things happen to good people?

From the perspective of an Evangelical/charismatic (i.e., born-again; me) Christian, theologically speaking, there are no "good people." (The "mainline"/liberal Christian will most likely disagree, generally and theologically.)

All are evil from birth, being selfish, their main concern self and not how what they do and think affects others. In a world where no person is an island, and therefore where what they do will eventually ADVERSELY affect others, God has declared such, sin, that which keeps people from having an eternal relationship with God and others who He has supernaturally made not selfish.

Furthermore, since what people do or do not do is based in a large part on the way they were brought up, God has decreed that He will not judge people by their outward actions, but by the motives of their heart, by their thoughts, by their conscience, etc.

As example, if you were in a 3rd world family whose parents abandoned you, where there were not any food pantries or public assistences or vacancies in orphanages, and you therefore stole to buy food, and committed whatever other evils to both physically and emotionally survive---

Surely that would not be comparable with some child of a Western upper-middle class family who---

In either case, the child had nothing whatsoever to do with where he was born and to whom, neither control over the circumstances that propelled him---

See how it would be unjust for God to judge the actions of both with the same measurement of Justice?

But what each DOES have control over, is their motives, their thoughts, how they will address their conscience, etc.

Surely most have heard at one time or another, "God judges the heart."

Sometimes I wonder what has this person or that person ever done to deserve what they get?

Since all are evil, the Evang./char. Christians believes---or should believe---that all deserve nothing more or less than hell, for we are all selfish except for when God miraculously intervenes.

. . . Why is anyone here? . . .

So as to determine who will, or will not be, allowed into the next age, in the New World that God is presently preparing to replace this evil one, and which will exist forever.

I do believe there is some kind of hole in every single person..an emptiness that we have a passion to fill..

Whether such a vacuum/"hole" exists or not, only God/Jesus can truly satisfy the soul for any length of time.

When we see a wealthy or otherwise very successful person, we look at them thinking that they must be happier than us. Well, if they are---and that is often not the case---they are only happier because "you" think they are, them then deducing they are happier because "you" have "said" so. And money and such can lessen some types of pain---but not all. Most importantly, their happiness, if it exists at all, will be short-lived, for every person will one day be resurrected and made to stand before God and judged. And whether hell is forever for some or not misses the point to a large degree, because that Judgment Day will not exist for 1,000 years after this age ends, so even 1,000 years in hell is not something worthwhile to compare to a few decades of so-called, worldly, "happiness."

(And there ARE degrees of suffering in hell, so some who have not offended God's children and who lived self-righteously good lives but did not teach others to religiously so do, will suffer less than those who---)

And I feel like everything I've tried..everything I tried to tell or convince myself just never quite cut it.

That's how it must be. We cannot do anything for ourselvers that is of an eternally profitable nature, because God greatly hates pride and its resultant arrogance/haughtiness/hubris (see Prov. 6:16-17a), Him knowing it leads someone to live a selfish live whereby others will be hurt (just like Lucifer).

So God has made salvation available only through someone receiving Graces such as GOD-GIVEN Faith (not soulish faith, such as we have when we insert a key into a car ignition, turn it and believe by faith it will start; or when we are sick, go to the doctor, get a prescription and take it): "so that no person can boast . . . so that no flesh can [SELF-] glory in [God's] Presence/Sight."

. . . I just don't know where I'm suppose to be going..where I should be headed.

Many of us who were started on the correct road leading eventually to eternal Life in God's Kingdom (not to mention getting to wait for it in Paradise, the present Heaven, instead of hell), were started through no effort of our own. Someone may have told us about being born-again, or perhaps we read something about it, and then one day when we did something really bad, and/or one day when we suddenly realized how our selfish life has been destroying us and/or others, God reached His hand into our heart and made it like butter, we felt truly sorry for the way we had been living, because of how it hurt God and/or others, and we then began receiving the Grace(s) God offered.

So someone must wait for such an event in their life, perhaps praying IN THE NAME OF JESUS and asking God to do whatever it takes to bring you to that point of the above. It may help to read and meditate on the NEW TESTAMENT of the Holy Bible, paying particular attention to the mentionings of sin, allowing it to treflect against your own life and make you more aware of your own sins of selfishness. (The Old Testament is often not understood as to its differences in dispensations from the New, even by Christians, and so is best avoided until someone is both a committed Christian and has sufficient knowledge of the New Covenant/Test.)

But keep in mind that someone will not understand all that they should in the Bible, until they are born-again, for many things are only spiritually understood, and someone is not considered by God spiritual until they are reborn. We need God's Spirit to understand the eternally profitable things about Him. But someone can understand enough, especially in the Four Gospels, so that God can then convict them of their sin if such is possible for whatevr reason(s).

. . . but i think its only fair to try to somewhat understand this whole thing....

Well, yes, somewhat, but we will never completely understand in this age ("for now we see through a gark glass"), but God has made available what we need. And His Faith to believe always works regardless of how little we know, and in fact oftentimes the more we know intellectually the more of a hindrance to Faith that becomes. The Faith of God just believes, because God has written His Truth on the heart, and when it is then also read or heard, it is recognized as Truth, and we believe regardless of sight or total understanding.

brother jim