Settling the Goodness of God Once and for All
In this blog post, we embark on a journey to explore the profound impact of doubting God’s goodness on our stress levels in our spirit. This will be a four-part sub-series within the series where we’ll delve into the significance of acknowledging the mystery inherent in our faith and the importance of understanding the nature of genuine love and free will. Together, we’ll consider the concept of a cosmic conflict with rules of engagement and reflect on the question of what more God could have done. By the end, I hope to build a solid foundation anchored in God’s goodness, laying the groundwork for effective stress management. Think of this post as the introductory post for the next three deeper dives into how we can know God is good. I truly hope you will read them all but if you had to choose, I would definitely recommend you make time for the fourth one!
As humans, it’s natural for us to question and doubt aspects of our faith, especially when faced with the complexities of life that include loss, trials and sufferings. I want to assure you that having doubts doesn’t mean you are alone or should feel ashamed. In fact, acknowledging our doubts and actively seeking understanding can lead to a deeper and more genuine relationship with God. And I would also love to point out that God has been able to handle any doubt I have brought his way, and I am confident he will handle yours as well, no matter what it is.
We are reminded in Isaiah 55:8-9 that God’s thoughts and ways are beyond our comprehension. There will always be an element of mystery that we cannot fully grasp in this lifetime. However, we can have confidence in the knowledge that God is good, even when circumstances seem to contradict that understanding.
We will address some common doubts that arise regarding God’s goodness. I have observed these questions in people of all age groups and I have seen the lack of room for exploration of these questions be the source of much pain and turmoil. Questions like “Why does God allow suffering?” and “Why doesn’t God prevent certain things from happening?” often lead us to draw conclusions that may undermine our trust in His goodness. Recognizing the beliefs and conclusions we make is essential to understanding how they impact our stress levels.
When we harbor doubts about God’s goodness, it affects us on a deep emotional level. Feelings of being alone, hypervigilance, disillusionment, fear, anxiety, pain, abandonment, hopelessness, helplessness, and overwhelm can flood us. These emotions act as drains on our stress capacity, hindering our ability to effectively manage stress, because healthy practices like exercise and a good diet will not plug this leak.
Take a look at this diagram of Hz frequencies that are present in different emotions. Notice how all the emotions below ‘curious and courage’ are kinds of emotions God instructs us in the Bible not to dwell on. And notice too, how the three top ones, joy, peace, love are the first three flavors of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that he gives us. They are much more potent in energy and have a noticeable effect on people who are engaging in the lower energy emotions. Studies have been done measuring this and are fascinating! It’s for instance the peace and calm of a parent engaging in renewing, God endorsed emotions that manages to settle a fearful or hurting child. (you might notice a slight discrepancy between numbers from the list on the right and the one on the left. I post both to show the overall trend)
It is crucial to address these doubts and beliefs before anything else. Plugging the leak caused by low-energy emotions associated with doubt creates a solid foundation for managing stress. Recognizing and challenging these beliefs allows us to experience healing, restoration, and a renewed trust in God’s goodness.
But how do we recognize such beliefs? After all, we can agree on a cognitive level that since God is always truthful, then when he assures us of his goodness, it must be so. Often times the tell-tale signs will be there if we pay attention to our thought life and our behaviors. What do your behaviors say you believe about God?
I invite you to reflect on your personal questions about God’s goodness and the conclusions you have drawn based on the presence of evil in the world. Share your thoughts and engage in open conversation with God and in the comments as we journey together toward a deeper understanding of God’s goodness.
As we embark on this exploration of God’s goodness, let us remember that doubts are part of our human experience. By addressing our doubts and embracing the mystery of our faith, we can cultivate a foundation anchored in God’s goodness that empowers us to manage stress effectively. In the upcoming blog posts, we will take a closer look at how we can know that God is good, diving deeper into the spiritual aspects of stress. Join me on this transformative journey of discovery and growth!
If you struggle knowing how to dialogue with God about such things and would like further help, I created a guide in my FB group where you can walk through a method that has been instrumental in helping me have conversations with God about anything that surfaces. Feel free to request to join my group by clicking on the hyperlink, if you are not already a member, to go learn more.
Remember, the information provided in these blog posts is for the purpose of starting your own investigation of the spiritual information for yourself, using it as a springboard to do your own research. We can’t know everything God knows – there will remain a big element of mystery after we are done. You will always have unanswered questions on this side of eternity. But the journey is way worth it!
I get so excited when I see faith and science coming together! They are so closely aligned yet many think we need to keep them separate – or that you can’t have both! I think we are realizing that both are crucial – that God created all aspects of us and we should embrace all aspects.
Yes, me too! I love when science proves God was telling us all along what is good for us! 🥰
This is so interesting. I never knew there was energy tied to emotions like this. But I love God’s good plan of His fruit of the Spirits that yes does calm our stress.
Thank you for reading! I agree, God’s fruit of the Spirit is such a good plan!
Thank you for this discussion of how our emotions impact our view of God, even though our emotions never change His view of us!
Thanks for reading! I love how you worded that: our emotions never change His view of us! 💕
Very enlightening! You nailed the hard questions and struggles that create our stress – thank you!
Thanks for reading! 💕
Wow! Very intriguing! Never thought of our emotions tied to our energy in this way. I will definitely be reading all your articles. ❤️
Thank you! I’m looking forward to seeing you on the other posts! 💕