every human being matters

Christians often say that praying for patience will bring trials to test us, but I now see that’s a lie. God walks with us, guiding and teaching us. He shows us how to handle challenges and gradually increases difficulty so we can develop virtues. Without this, we’ll see God as a punishing figure instead of a loving Father.

God loves His creation and bears no ill will toward us. It’s we who blame Him for things not happening as we wish. Have we considered how a parent sees us when they warn us against harm or teach us how to do something right, like using a knife? Or do we simply complain that they don’t understand and call them mean? Good parents didn’t let us run out in traffic to retrieve a ball because they knew our lives were more important than the ball.

So, too, does God treats us for our own good, never to harm or punish. When we ask for help, He provides lessons to strengthen us, build character, foster trust, improve relationships, or protect us from harm. Rejecting His help leads to self-inflicted suffering, yet we often blame Him for our problems.

What if we let HIM lead?

Would that bring a better outcome, even if the path is thorny?

Curing illness often requires accepting painful treatments like surgery or medication, ultimately restoring health. Similarly, spiritual growth demands trusting that challenges and hardships are tools for strengthening our faith. Without obstacles, growth stalls. We can choose to remain stagnant or embrace the lessons and grow. The choice is ours.

Growth requires dying to self and comfort. The reward for obedience and acceptance of discomfort is increased strength in patience or other virtues—none are given freely.

We must surrender self to truly accept what we ask for. Without effort, we’ll undervalue the gift and risk losing it, as we have no true stake in the process. It will be valueless and will be discarded quickly unless ingrained deeply within our souls. That is why, when we ask God to give us a virtue, He will answer our request with the necessary tools and lessons that will etch that virtue deeply inside us in order that do not lose it.

If we let Him lead us along the chosen path, instead of trying to forge our own, we would need to surrender to Him direction just as we allow our loving parent guide us through the challenges that life brings us.

So why do we constantly blame God for all our hardships?

Shouldn’t we, instead, ask for His help to navigate through them? Do we not trust that He will lead us to the other side safely?

It’s clear we don’t. Instead, we repeatedly snatch the reins from the Creator Himself, relying on our limited vision and understanding, and growing angry when things don’t go as we planned.

If we can’t see the full vision from start to finish, why do we assume we’re capable of choosing the right path? Does it make sense to decide without the complete picture or understanding of the outcome?

Maybe we need to trust our wiser Father and let go. When we surrender to God’s guidance, we’ll realize our future isn’t as bleak as we imagined. Staying the course is worth it, rather than trying to steer our lives into a ditch to escape hardship.

So, in the end, does God want to harm us when we ask for virtue?

The answer is “No”.

The problem is we ask God for something while expecting our own outcomes and methods. But we don’t know ourselves as well as the Creator does. Relying on ourselves will only reinforce our stubborn belief that God is unkind—unless we trust He is the Good Parent we claim Him to be.

So if you ask God to help you with a difficulty, a need, or improvement to your character, let Him guide you. Don’t grumble and complain along the way. If it becomes too difficult to bear, ask Him for help and you will receive the means to carry that burden to the end. He doesn’t give us anything that would force us to turn away from Him. He is a kind Father, and he will never give us more than we can handle.

Those who disagree with that premise are often those who never let go of the reins.