What kind of God 3

Assumptions are the foundation of all our thought. We cannot get away from assumptions. Many of our assumptions are housed in "If...then" statements. Here is a simple example:

1. If God loves me, then life should be pleasant.

A wrong premise will logically lead to a wrong conclusion. Let's look at this statement. If I believe that statement and if my life is not pleasant (statistically most lives are not pleasant) then I would logically think that either God does not love me or God does not exist. But what is the basis of believing that "if God loves me then life should be pleasant"? Certainly there are preachers and teachers who say such things. Anyone with a bible can find a dozen quotes to support anything. But the consistent message of the Bible and church history is people struggle. Life is hard. Good people suffer.
I think that the media (especially Christian media) has equated God with the spectacular and wonderful. So we think "if God is here then I should feel goose bumps, I should see signs and wonders, I should be able to avoid the normal struggles of life." But I do not think that is in fact the case. Lots of martyrs can testify that sometimes it can get real painful. Lots of missionaries can testify that sometimes it gets real lonely and discouraging. Lots of ministers can testify sometimes it can get very frustrating and depressing. Lots of Christians can testify sometimes it gets real hard to be faithful. The struggles of life and the challenges of faith do not market well. But as someone who regularly hears from struggling people trying to be faithful, I can tell you it is a consolation for them to know that God loves us and life can still be unpleasant. How many people lose their faith because of mistaken assumptions? Many. I am here trying to support you on the journey of faith!