Has God failed you?

We sometimes meet people who explain they left the church or stopped believing in God because in some way God failed them. Perhaps they had been praying for something and didn't get the results they wanted. Maybe something occurred in their lives that scarred them deeply, and they believe that if God was real that wouldn't have happened. In some cases something occurs in the church that should not have, and it causes some to doubt the existence of God or, at least, the relevance of the church. It might be that people seemed to promise more than Christianity can provide. I hear some preachers virtually tell people if they will give their lives to Christ that all their problems will be over. I think most of us who are Christians for any length of time know that isn't true, but for a new believer they may not handle it well when they realize that storms come in the lives of Christians and non-Christians alike.

Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias wrote a book titled Has Christianity Failed You? It is a really good book and one I highly recommend. Towards the end of the book he writes, "You have realized that Christianity has not failed you; God has not failed you. It may be that the church has failed you, since it is comprised of human beings just like you, people who often fall short of their own standards and do not always live up to the beauty of their faith and of their Savior."

As a retired pastor and judicatory leader I hate to admit that the church does sometimes fail people. God may get the blame, but too often the church doesn't do what it needs to do to serve people well. I know there have been times when I was not there for people the way I should have been. I've hurt people with my words and my actions. There have been times when I've been a poor example of a follower of Christ. But, my failures and those of other believers, should never be put on God.

When the church has not been there for you, God has been there. When the church has said and done things that were hurtful, God was there loving you. When the church failed to hear your cries for help, God heard them. I've been a Christian for nearly 50 years, and I can honestly say God has never failed me, and He's never failed you either.

Yes, I have prayed prayers that didn't seem to be answered, and there have been times when I've wondered where God was as it seemed I was all alone. Later, virtually every time, I've looked back and realized God had been there all the time doing things I was not aware of at the time. Often, those times it didn't seem my prayers were being answered the results, when they did come, often were more than I had asked.

Please don't turn your back on God because the church falls short sometimes of being what it should be. Be assured He is very present in your life working out His will to help you become everything you are meant to be. There may be times we don't understand, but one day we will. In the meantime, stay close to God. He will never fail you.