I was born and raised up in a very Religious Christian background where I have been taught to believe in a supernatural intervention or interference in everything that happens to us, whether good or bad. As such, good things are are from God and bad things are from the devil. Therefore I was thought to live by religious standards in order to always be in favour with God, in order have a good life, and by this I mean good health, finances, joy, happiness, and other good things. I will term such living "Applying the God-factor in our lives". I have really tried to obey to my best capabilities, although there have been some shortcomings. I am only human.
However despite my endeavors to live by what I have been taught, things still go sour. I am a burn survivor, and I never expected such fate could happen to me. I used to believe in miracles and at a time I felt by my sincere prayers and my past commitment to God in the form of religious activities which were from my heart, I would have a miraculous healing and would not even need surgeries despite having third degree burns and which later resulted in impaired used of my hands. However I have had about seven surgeries and more is expected. I even had complications in treatment that should normally go smoothly without any problem.
I recently travelled to Europe for better medical treatment and I hope to get better with time.
So I have begun to wonder - this"God Factor". After certain experiences in my life and perhaps other people's experiences, and after rubbing minds with people of different socio-ethno-religious backgrounds from Africa to Europe here. I have one topic for open discussion. I'm bringing this topic to this forum because when I tried to discuss it with close ones, I was simply regarded as a backslider. Free your mind and let's reason together. Your contributions are welcome.
"Does God have control over everything that happens to us, or just over some things, or He just allows anything to happen to us? Is there a God-given destiny for every person, or we arrive at where we are by our will or where the wind of life blows us to? Does He recognise our good deeds and rewards us here on earth, or our reward is only in heaven? Does He answer every single prayer we make or only just some? Every single good thing that happens to us, is God's hand always in it, or could it be something normal that can happen to anyone whether a good or evil person? If we give God praise for everything good thing that happens to us, do you think we should at least question Him when bad things happen to us, oh we stick to the particular saying, "Who are we to question God?" Why is it that we Africans who always apply God Factor and religious standards in everything we do, are living in poorer quality of living and in more hardship, while the Whites who hardly apply God in their lives, but live by simple morals are doing better?
Your contributions are most welcome.

Mods please do me a favour, please bring this to the front page.

cc lalasticlala, seun.

My brother count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing this that the testing of our Faith worketh patience...James 1:2
I totally understand how you feel my brother, I've been there before though not the health challenges, but you must know that the devil is trying to kill your spirit, and you don't have to allow him, remember the story of job in the bible...you also don't sound like you have a personal relationship with God, because that is where you draw inner strength from to live through this trying time...you have to be deeply rooted at this point by steady bible study and fellowship...and don't ever forget that Jesus loves you and he will see you through....cheers bro

Thanks mikkyjagga. Actually I used to have this personal relationship with God, or so I thought especially in the initial trying phase of my accident. I tried as I could to continue in my faith, praying, tongue-speaking and so on. However it got to a point where I just felt God wasn't answering and I just couldn't feel His presence as I wanted. So thoughts started coming to my head of whether I've been misled by my religious beliefs or whether there's something missing in church preachings or teachings which I had strictly held on to? Well, I still leave a chapter open as regarding God. I wish and I pray that He will come again into my life with strong undeniable and convincing proofs.

Hello survivor1986

I'm really sorry you had to experience what you did... i really am... I've had a minor burn and i know how it feels... talkless of a major burn... i can't count how many times you must have contemplated suicide... please take heart and accept my condolences... it's not easy... don't worry about your friends who tagged you as a “backslider".... till today I'm still being called atheist by some of my friends even though I'm still a Christian just because i have a new set of believes... so its nothing you should worry about.... I'll try and answer your questions

does God have control?... God controls the universe.. we Christians believe so... i think our problem is expecting him to interfere with everything we do... he has set the universe in place and its running... things will happen... both good and bad... when the former happen... we are grateful... when the latter happens... we say “why me??".... once again I'm really sorry for your condition... Christians will say... its all the plan of God or its your sins... its not.. unfortunate incidents happen because they happen.. people get unfortunate... I've lost few of my friends recently... and it really made me wonder...what kind of life we live... similarly... God doesn't give people good things because they're Christians... Good things happen to people although it can be increased through some means... similarly bad things.. whatever questions you have... you can ask them here...

Is there a God-given destiny for every person, or we arrive at where we are by our will or where the wind of life blows us to?

we choose who we are... our actions define our future...

Every single good thing that happens to us, is God's hand always in it, or could it be something normal that can happen to anyone whether a good or evil person

good and bad are normal things that happen to people... some Christians especially in Nigeria believe that being a Christian shields you from bad things... therefore they expect to be free from bad things... its not so... good and bad happen to everyone Irrespective of religion... sometimes we just have to attract good things to ourselves more often.. like the law of Karma and the law of attraction

Why is it that we Africans who always apply God Factor in everything we do, are living in poorer quality of living and in more hardship, while the Whites who hardly apply God in their lives, but live by simple morals are doing better?

its because success doesn't come by being a Christian or shouting Jesus... it comes by hardwork and understanding how things work... Christianity especially in Nigeria has turned into a case where God is supposed to spoon feed you and all things are to work for you... look at the jews... they are the alleged God's chosen people yet they work their asses off... God set rules... you want something... you work hard.. Christians especially in nigeria want that rule to be broken for their sake... u see them expecting “miracle contract" or “miracle alert" etc.. if you want something, work hard... something I've also learnt is that you mustn't have everything... just make the best of what you have... my condolences once again for your condition.. i pray you have the strength to pull through... don't let anyone tell you its because you're a sinner or because you didn't give ur 10%... life is precious... focus more on living a fulfilled life than living a long one

.

let me mention some friends to drop something concerning the OP even though they may disagree with me

CC: hopefullandlord... Doctoralien... Adepeter26... Catfishbilly... Lordnicklaus.. etc

please drop a thought concerning the OP... thanks

Hold on.
Okay, let's hit it off.
The God factor is something humans created to give them an edge where they feel that their strength/power has reached its limit. Something of an X factor if you will.
But the problem is this, it's not exclusive to Christians. Every human irrespective of religious persuasions feel that they have that something extra that'll give them an edge when the chips are down.
Is it real? The answer is NO. It's all in the psyche/mental will, like a patient willing themselves to health because they've done/observed a few things which they feel will make it happen for them.
Is that a miracle? No.
Do I believe in miracles? Let's just say I've been around patients long enough to know that there's nothing like miraculous healing. A lot of coincidences though that are being called miracles.


I don't think there's a God/Gods, so I don't believe anything anywhere is controlling the universe. Because every thing/challenge we face is a direct consequence of our actions/inactions.
I think people who say that everything in life is predetermined by God are just lazy and don't want to accept responsibility for their shortcomings in that same vein, the reward system we've created in the sense that our good deeds would be rewarded in heaven and bad deeds rewarded in hell has created a bunch of lazy individuals who don't want to live in the now and affect their community positively but rather wasting away on Earth and building imaginary castles in an imaginary Utopia, that by the way is a way to deal with depression associated with hardship but doesn't really tackle the root cause of the hardship.

I also think prayers are like rolling the dice, no one remembers all the time that you lost, just that one moment that it went your way, that's what'll be celebrated.

I wish you all the best in your health/treatment and journey of self discovery. Like you, my journey started after I left Nigeria and mixed with people of varied backgrounds.

And no, you're not a backslider, you're just a guy with questions which our religious leaders are really shying away from answering, it can't continue forever though.

Thanks Wilgrea7 for your sincere comments. You just answering some difficult questions on the most simplistic way, I and your answers gladden my heart. Thanks.

I understand how it is now, from recent happenings it seems like God has totally abandoned you but he's there, this is the wilderness period where he seems very far, when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness his father left him alone and not until it was over did the ministering angels come to attend to him...somehow we as Christians always have that phase, I just passed through mine, for 5 years it seemed like God abandoned me when it came to a certain area of my life, but recent happenings have made me understand his whole purpose all along, you didn't bring this upon yourself and God didnt either, but believe me when i say he has a plan for you and you have a divine destiny. ..one day all this will be a testimony to encourage someone.....my dear try to remain fixed on him, God is real!

survivor1986:
Thanks mikkyjagga. Actually I used to have this personal relationship with God, or so I thought especially in the initial trying phase of my accident. I tried as I could to continue in my faith, praying, tongue-speaking and so on. However it got to a point where I just felt God wasn't answering and I just couldn't feel His presence as I wanted. So thoughts started coming to my head of whether I've been misled by my religious beliefs or whether there's something missing in church preachings or teachings which I had strictly held on to? Well, I still leave a chapter open as regarding God. I wish and I pray that He will come again into my life with strong undeniable and convincing proofs.

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 Jn. 5:19

The story of Job comes to mind. OP, while GOD may not always directly interfere in our everyday lives, we can be sure that He is not oblivious of anything that happens to us. The perfect earth which GOD created had no disease, hunger or disasters. These things came as a result of sin. Satan seeks to inflict pain on the followers of GOD in any way he can, to make them doubt GOD or charge Him foolishly. In one day He brought Job from 100 to 0. Job surely didn't understand why those things were happening to him, but his story today encourages Christians who suffer adversity.

OP, as far as you remain trusting in GOD, obeying Him and doing His will, you can be sure that He is guiding you through the best possible path, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him..." 2 Chron. 16:9

The perfect path in which the LORD decides to lead His trusting child may be fraught with hunger, adversity, privations and sorrows, but surely that path is going to lead to eternal life, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Heb. 12:6

Jesus Christ our Lord, "learned obedience by the things He suffered." Heb. 5:8

The early Christians who loved and served GOD with all their hearts were crucified, burned at the stake, fed to wild beasts, locked in terrible dungeons, beheaded or flayed alive. Is GOD not capable of saving them? Or does not care about their sufferings? He is able to save, and He cares for us, but He allows things come our way for a reason. The stories of how GOD dealt with us as His trusting and obedient children can serve to further the cause of His kingdom.

And then when everything is over, we will live in a world where no disaster, disease or privation will exist.

CatfishBilly:
Hold on.
Okay, let's hit it off.
The God factor is something humans created to give them an edge where they feel that their strength/power has reached its limit. Something of an X factor if you will.
But the problem is this, it's not exclusive to Christians. Every human irrespective of religious persuasions feel that they have that something extra that'll give them an edge when the chips are down.
Is it real? The answer is NO. It's all in the psyche/mental will, like a patient willing themselves to health because they've done/observed a few things which they feel will make it happen for them.
Is that a miracle? No.
Do I believe in miracles? Let's just say I've been around patients long enough to know that there's nothing like miraculous healing. A lot of coincidences though that are being called miracles.


I don't think there's a God/Gods, so I don't believe anything anywhere is controlling the universe. Because every thing/challenge we face is a direct consequence of our actions/inactions.
I think people who say that everything in life is predetermined by God are just lazy and don't want to accept responsibility for their shortcomings in that same vein, the reward system we've created in the sense that our good deeds would be rewarded in heaven and bad deeds rewarded in hell has created a bunch of lazy individuals who don't want to live in the now and affect their community positively but rather wasting away on Earth and building imaginary castles in an imaginary Utopia, that by the way is a way to deal with depression associated with hardship but doesn't really tackle the root cause of the hardship.

I also think prayers are like rolling the dice, no one remembers all the time that you lost, just that one moment that it went your way, that's what'll be celebrated.

I wish you all the best in your health/treatment and journey of self discovery. Like you, my journey started after I left Nigeria and mixed with people of varied backgrounds.

And no, you're not a backslider, you're just a guy with questions which our religious leaders are really shying away from answering, it can't continue forever though.

Thanks so much. I agree with some points. African Christians have really been boxed into poor and unsound doctrines. I really wished all our eyes can open.

On whether there is a set, unchangeable destiny which GOD has for each person, I would say NO. Life itself also doesn't randomly assign fate to individuals. Our fate is a function of the choices we make. No one is destined to be destroyed, neither is anyone destined to be saved.

We may receive the reward of our good deeds here on earth. We may also not receive the reward of our good deeds here on earth, but we can be sure that every single good deed will be rewarded(Matt. 5:12)

The confidence we have in GOD is that when we pray according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him(1 Jn. 5:14-15). Sometimes, the reason why our prayers are not answered is because we "ask amiss" to consume it on our lusts(James 4:3). Know, also, that GOD can delay the answers to our prayers according to His will.

DoctorAlien:
On whether there is a set, unchangeable destiny which GOD has for each person, I would say NO. Life itself also doesn't randomly assign fate to individuals. Our fate is a function of the choices we make. No one is destined to be destroyed, neither is anyone destined to be saved.

We may receive the reward of our good deeds here on earth. We may also not receive the reward of our good deeds here on earth, but we can be sure that every single good deed will be rewarded(Matt. 5:12)

The confidence we have in GOD is that when we pray according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petitions we desired of Him(1 Jn. 5:14-15). Sometimes, the reason why our prayers are not answered is because we "ask amiss" to consume it on our lusts(James 4:3). Know, also, that GOD can delay the answers to our prayers according to His will.

A-men!!

Bro sorry about ur exp, how re u doing now?
Well for me i had some kind of reverse exp, i never believed in God or anything supernatural, i used to be a free thinker, i argue with pastors and stuff and challenge them to proof that God exists, but then due to some series of experiences that ive had, all is starting to point to the fact that God exists. Our behavious or some other forces can influence our life curve, but then wat that i kno from my exp and im 100% sure is that when we pray, there is sn that listen, maybe for some reasons we might not see d manifestation, but im sure that there is sn out there that listens.
I have some experiences to back it up tho, but im too lazy to type. And once again about ur exp, im really sorry for that and only God can understand and im sure he loves u.