Many Christians would attest that life with God is not a storm-free life but a storm-proof life. Life is not easy but by God’s grace one is able to surpass life’s challenges and trials. Even how beneficial Christianity can be, like the beauty of being filled with joy and peace despite the presence of battles, there are still people who chose to take steps further and farther from the Lord. What are their reasons for turning against God?
In today’s time, there have been many reasons why more and more people are turning against God, and deciding to live a life according to the world. We listed the following possible reasons behind people’s choice to separate their life from the sovereignty of the Lord.
Stumbled and Offended by the Church (Members, Leaders, Pastors, etc.)
One of the reasons we think people are turning against God is not because of God himself, but of the people that represent God in this world. Some Christians walk away from their faith because of their traumatic and painful experience with the people of God. They were offended, harassed (verbally, physically, sexually), discouraged, humiliated, and condemned. The church should have been a safe place for Christians but sometimes it becomes the source of guilt, fear, and anxiety for Christian members.
There were instances also that the Christians from the church do things that make others question the faith that they are in. Seeing Christian members compromising to sin, and still standing in the pulpit make more people turn against not just the church but God. For them, if these “Christians” are not doing things right, why will I do it? Then the decision to stray away would be very easy as those they are following are not good examples of Christ’s followers.
Sad to say but this is the reality of the church today. More and more people are turning against God because of “God’s” people themselves.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2, Berean Standard Bible
In seeking God and pursuing a relationship with Him the key is to focus our eyes on Him and not on the church, not the people. They will fail you and disappoint you. But God will never.
Unanswered Prayers
Being unheard, not valued, and loved. These are a few of the reasons some Christians think that their prayers are not getting answers. The Lord is not hearing them. He doesn’t care about their cries. The Lord does not love them anymore.
These are all lies. Because the bible tells us, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. (Isaiah59:1, NIV)”, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1Peter5:7, NIV), And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans8:38-39, NIV). These truths of the Bible are the very words people must hold onto to fight the voices within.
To some, unanswered prayers gave them a reason to not believe God anymore but unanswered prayers are God answering our prayers in a different way. Unanswered prayers are actually answered prayers.
Too Many Problems
The weight of the challenges and battles a person carries contribute to a position that God doesn’t exist because if so, why are they experiencing such hard times in this world?
Because of having too many problems to shoulder, they begin to drift away spiritually. They can’t fathom or comprehend that if there is a big God, why is this God not stopping their suffering? Why is this big God not seeing them through their hardships?
But the bible clearly says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
It is said and written that life will not be easy but the promise that God already made us victorious is an assurance that our present suffering is for His glory.
Traumatic and Painful Experience
Sometimes when things are too painful, the easiest thing people do is to isolate or drift away. It has become one of the reasons for people turn against God when they are hurt.
Their traumas and painful experiences become too big that they can no longer see that the Lord is bigger. Their brokenness is being magnified rather than the ability of Christ to save. They thought that their mess is beyond what God can manage anymore so they decide to just be away from His presence.
This is also a sad reality. People tend to walk away from God in the time when they needed God the most. But lovingly God is just patiently waiting for you to come to Him. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18, NIV).
It is His heart that in your most painful time, He will be there for you and wipe your tears.
Parasitic Sins
People come to the decision of turning against God completely when they see that they no longer change, and sin consumes them deeply. They began to feel the weight of sin and guilt. Because of this, they no longer can come to church or even pray to the Lord.
The hold of the sin in their lives becomes so great that little by little they forgot the love that was shed for them on the cross. What makes this experience much worse for people is there are people, especially Christians who would even condemn them and make them feel like trash or evil.
We don’t tolerate sin but we still show compassion to the sinner as how Jesus is for us. Sin is sin and the good news is, even if we feel like our sins are great, God’s grace is greater. (Romans 5:20). We must result in coming closer to God when we sin and not the other way around.
God is gracious to us that He gave us the word that when we sin, we just have to confess our sins, and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, KJV).
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1, NIV)
God is for us, Never Against Us
Whatever we do, however, we fail, no matter what are our shortcomings, and how often we become unfaithful (even sometimes faithless), God’s love for us remains the same. And what’s more amazing about the kind of love He offers is that it is a love that forgives and always welcomes. You cannot be turning against God if He knows what His plan is for you.
It’s only His love that welcomes you back even when you are the one who first goes. Surely God will not take it against you if there were times you’ve forgotten about HIm. He will never take it against you when you decided to leave Him. Because you know what matters to Him, it is that you come back to His loving arms.
As you are reading this, it is His offer for you to come back and continue to experience the love that He so desperately wants to give you. May today be the day that you come back to God’s loving family and accept His offer of sonship with you in this lifetime until eternity.
God loves you!
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