Prodigal: These are the prefect flowers!

Me: Whatever cranks your tractor, I am glad you found them.

Prodigal: While I am enjoying them, then share a story.

This is from the book The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller

Religion and the gospel also lead to divergent ways of handling troubles and suffering. Moralistic religion leads its participants to the conviction that if they live an upstanding life, then God (and others) owe them respect and favor. They believe they deserve a decent, happy life. If, however, life begins to go wrong, moralists will experience debilitating anger. Either they will be furious with God (or “the universe”) because they feel that since they live better than others, they should have a better life. Or else they will be deeply angry at themselves, unable to shake the feeling that they have not lived as they should or kept up to standards. The gospel, however, makes it possible for someone to escape the spiral of bitterness, self-recrimination, and despair when life goes wrong. They know that the basic premise of religion–that if you live a good life, things will go well for you–is wrong. Jesus was the most morally upright person who ever lived, yet he had a life filled with the experience of poverty, rejection, injustice, and even torture.

You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Psalms 85:2

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org