In Job's place, what kind of answer would you have wonted frm God? Does god's reply to Job suprise you?

Job, you challenged Almighty God;
will you give up now, or will you answer?

~Job 40:2

 

God's reply to Job does not suprise me.  What ever God's reply is to our problems should be sufficient to us.

Do these principles from Jopb match up with what you have heard about suffering from other Christians?

But God teaches people through suffering
and uses distress to open their eyes.

~~Job 36:15

 

yes.

Do Elihu's arguments sound familiar? What do you think of friends who have similar thoughts about others who suffer?

I paid close attention and heard you fail;
you have not disproved what Job has said.

~Job 32:12

 

They do sound a little familiar, but Elihu should have sounded more supportive.

Read over the qualities of life in the Spirit listed in (Galatians) 5:22-23. Do these characterize your life?

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.

~Galatians 5:6

 

This is what it says in Galatians 5:22-23:

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
 

I woulds say that I do possesss all of these qualities in which some probably do need to be worked on more then possibly others, such as patience and self-control.



The early Christians went in two directions. Some, like the people in Galatia, became obsessed with legalism. Others took their Christian freedom too far: They refused to follow anyone's rules. Which is the greater danger in your circle?

but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more?

~Galatians 4:9

 

I have a feeling that my circle is in more danger of being more obsessed with legalism.  There are people that say, "This is the way it always has been done and this is how it will remain."  I will also not deny that some have probably taken their religious freedoma tab too far by bringing some possible undesireable issues into the church.

What is the most "unfair" thing that has ever happened to you? How did it affect the way you thought about God?

How forceful are honest words!
But what does reproof from you reprove?

~Job 6:25

 

First of all, I have never let something get to me that it would make me think less of God.  The most unfair thing that has probably happened to me, and luckily it was mostly resolved, was that through my undergrad education, I had some professors that thought, because of my disability, that I didn't deserve to complete what I wanted to accomplish in life.

Whom do you speak up for? For what group would you risk your life or your reputation?

I not only stick up for myself, but for family and close friends as well.  Many people who are from the previous sentence are also in the groups I have been a part of.