God Is Mean?

     I often hear people say that God is mean.  They feel if He was the loving God He claims to be, then the world would be a better place and nothing bad would happen to anyone, believer or not.  Part of me can understand certain aspects of these feelings, but only at a surface level.  When you actually begin to get deeper into God and the way He works, it brings much clarity.
     The first thing I want to say is that I don't claim to understand everything about God.  He tells us in the Bible the Spirit will reveal the things it should, but some things will remain a mystery.  So I need to accept that.  Besides, if we understood why everything happens and had definite answers to every question, there would be no room for faith or free will.  We don't exactly have the choice to deny that 1+1=2 because it is plain and proven and in your face.  If God didn't allow people to come up with their own views on things, we wouldn't be able to choose to deny Him or choose to believe through faith.  And God loves us SO much, and is so JUST, that He wants US to be the ones to choose our path, even though He desires us to follow the path that leads to Him. 
     Now on to the "mean/unfair" God.  How can God let little kids suffer and people starve and allow all the awful things that happen in this world.  The best answer I can give is that although Jesus conquered the world, (and death and hell), the devil is still the prince of this world and has free reign over non-believers.  The devil can't touch us believers without God's permission, and if He allows it we understand it's for our own good.  We also understand that "greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world".  We can overcome everything with the help of the Lord and have the confidence that when we stay strong in Him, He works all things out for our good.  We will come out stronger and more blessed on the other side. (The book of Job is a great example of this.) 
     In the beginning, the earth wasn't intended to be the way it is now.  God created a literal paradise, and with the fall of man, sin entered in destroying everything, including God's direct communion with man, which created the need for a Savior.  Sin breeds death and destruction.  So much of the bad in this world is a direct result of sin...sin that doesn't just affect one person.  That's what makes it so awful.  It's like a cancer that spreads and destroys many lives.  Why does God "allow" children to be molested?  He tells us all sexual immorality is wrong, but we have FREE WILL.  It's that molester's decision to obey God and not destroy a life, or to do it anyway.  When he disobeys and it hurts another human being, how is that God's fault?  That's EXACTLY WHY God says not to sin in the first place!  The good thing is that God can turn that awful situation around for good at anytime if anyone involved turn to Him.  I'm reminded of one of my favorite preachers, Joyce Meyer, who was molested by her father her whole life.  She was in misery during her entire childhood, but turned to God and He fully restored her life.  She can actually say now that she's glad it happened because it allows her to relate to hurting people on a deepeer level and God had given her peace and freedom over her past so it no longer haunts her.  This is showing how even when people disobey God, and hurt others in the process, He can still turn any situation around for good for those who love Him.
     Now about all that "judgement."  If God loves us, why would He judge us?  Although God loves all people and desire that all come to know Him, He hates sin.  I don't want people to think I'm a member of the Westborough Baptist Church by that statement, so let me clarify.  God loves PEOPLE, he hates sinful ACTIONS.  God himself is justice epitomized, so how can He NOT right a wrong???  How can a person murder someone, and not be expected to be punished in some way?  Look at the uproar that happens when vile criminals get a slap on the wrist or are let out of prison early.  How much more does God want innocent people vindicated.  It's only fair...and God is fair, and just, and full of love. 
     You're probably thinking, "OK, He loves that innocent person but hates the guilty person."  Not so.  God still loves that guilty man (by the way, we are all guilty of sin).  That is why at ANY time, ANYONE can repent and be forgiven of their sins.  He sent Jesus as the way to make that happen.  Without Jesus, there would be no way to know God in such a personal way or to be forgiven because of the divide that sin caused between God and man.  Jesus bridges that gap.  There's a story in the Bible of a man hiring workers for his field and he said he'd pay them each a certain amount.  Well a man came at the end of the day and worked the last hour, and he was paid the same amount.  The other workers were mad because they had worked more hours and didn't get paid any more, but the man said the wage was set in the beginning for all workers...even the ones who came at the end.  This paints a picture of justice.  Regardless of if salvation began in childhood or began with a last breath,  when we say "Jesus, forgive me, I believe in You" and truly believe, we can all have the same reward of eternal life. God is no respecter of persons because He truly knows our hearts and that's what really matters to Him.  If you sincerely ask for forgiveness and turn away from sin and walk with the Lord,  there is no condemnation.  EVERYONE has a chance!  And whoever believes has the opportunity to help others now instead of hurting them (which was God's plan from the beginning).
     God is so complex.  He's always been and always will be.  He knows and sees everything, including the intentions of our hearts and the future.  It's incredible that we get so easily frustrated with God when He doesn't work the way we think He should.  We are intelligent beings, but the Bible says that all the knowledge of man is foolishness to God.  The smartest, most competent person in the world is a fool in God's eyes if he relies on his own intellect.  God gave us the Holy Spirit to reveal answers to life in the Bible, and He gave us the choice of having faith for things God doesn't want to reveal.  God is a God of love, mercy, kindness, and justice.  God loves each and every one of us enough to let us choose for ourselves which path we will take.  He tells us that all paths lead to Him, but one leads to Him as a judge, and another leads to Him as our Savior.  The road to heaven is narrow, but it's available to anyone who wants it.  Even if you've been on the wrong path, you can get on the right one RIGHT NOW!!  Noone's promised tomorrow...think about it today.