Faith in a God

I recently read an article outlining an interview with an atheist celebrity. He was asked what he would say if he met God. His response shocked me a bit but made me more sad than anything. He told the interviewer that he would call God out on creating things that are evil like cancer in children and allowing hardship that affects the innocent. He went on to say that he would not spend his life in gratitude to someone who could have easily not created certain bugs that cause blindness and would never worship a being on those terms.

This not only made me sad but also made me think upon my faith in such a being. A God who yes, created pesky flies and poisonous spiders, but also created beautiful horses and flowing rivers. The Heavenly Father I have come to know and love is a merciful God who loves all his children. My response to this man's accusations is that everything must have an opposite. If there was no sickness we could not know health, if there was no pain we could not know comfort.

This life is a test. We were sent to Earth to come closer to and become more like God. If all of the exams we took in school were easy, we would not have to stretch our minds and engage in active learning. Life is the same way. We will all be tested in different ways. Some are external (like sickness), others are internal (like heartbreak and depression). The answers we give to these trials are what define us: in our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. God is the only and ultimate judge. He knows perfectly what we have gone through and where our hearts lie. As people in the world we may not be able to distinguish and judge perfectly, but He can. And that is the beauty of it all. Even with all of the evil in the world, we can come to understand that an all-knowing being is in control. Life has a purpose, and that purpose is to be happy. Through coming closer to our Heavenly Father we can find true joy that lasts even through the hardest of times and the worst of trials.

I believe in a Savior and in a loving Father in heaven. This belief brings me peace and joy. As I continue to be obedient and show gratitude to such a Father, that joy will continue to grow. All it takes is a little faith.