Spiritualizing things...

I've been thinking, is it wrong to "spiritualise" experiences?

For example to say "God has a plan in my failures". I mean it's obvious to say "of course" to that question, but do we (me especially) always think that doing it is good?

I mean how many times have you been sneered at for saying "God has a plan for disasters"?

And i mean this is the kinds of things that i often do too for my fellow bros n sis. So - not only non-Christians do to us necessarily.

When things go bad, sometimes it's bad to say to them "God has a plan for you in this"

I mean, i know that it's unwise to tell those sorts of things to ppl who are hurting, but why?

Some of the reasons are:

1. it's insensitive

2. it's making God's name looks bad (giving misery and such)

3. the person might already know it and sick and tired of hearing it

Let's say, it's insensitive - i know that it's insensitive to say that to ppl who are hurting. like Job, his friends stayed with him for 7 days and 7 nights before saying anything to him. and when they did open their mouth - what they said was something along the line of "God has a plan for you" (or more like "you've done something bad - repent!"). but they did spiritualized it (just not in the right way)!

But then again, we cannot use Job (when you think about it), because Job's answer is also spiritualized. Job, in his misery looked to God and asked Him for justice.

But when you read the OT, you'll notice that in everything that happened in the life of the Israelites, has a spiritual meaning to it (e.g. Jeremiah asked to do all those things that makes him looks like a crazy prophets e.g. bury his clothing, go around naked).

so what's my point in all of these, my point is that we as a Christian is often reluctant now to bring God into the picture of what's happening in our life.

I know i've been talking about the big things (disasters, etc.) but i actually have the little things as well in mind, like getting a bus after you pray, or having someone falling in front of you 3 times in a day, little instances that's unusual. Can we bring God to that?

Is it possible that those little instances are God giving us a snippet of His big plan. I really don't know, that's why i'm asking.

Ok, lets move on to the next point - appointing God as the sole source of disasters is really (logically) not a good thing to do. Like the recent plane crash, earthquake or land slide. Thousands of ppl died because of that!

How can a loving God allow such to happen?

Actually, when i asked that question, i've already got an answer in mind; and it is found in the book of Isaiah. When i was reading Isaiah, i couldn't help to be confused. At one time God is so kind to His people, willing to take them back into His loving arms, but at another God punishes those who turned their backs on Him.but there is one (many actually, but one that i will use for this purpose) verse in Isaiah that explains all that He is doing here on earth and that is from Isaiah 48:9-11

9 “For my name's sake I defer my anger,
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
that I may not cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried [1] you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name [2] be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.

so why did God do all these things? FOR HIS OWN NAMESAKE. may they be blessings or curse to us, it is all done for His own namesake. So who are we - the pot asking the potter why it is as it is? how silly is that! All the pot can do is to be grateful that it was made a pot rather than a potty!

and the last point is, what if the person already knew it and sick and tired of hearing it?

well.. the only thing i can say is to be faithful and to be patient and bear with one another. Sometimes (actually most of the time), it is more loving to not be a know-it-all and shut our mouth and listen.

to say that God has a plan to a Christian - is to point out the obvious. They know!

but to show that God really has a plan, and He is using His children to show that He is in control and He cares and He loves and He listens. That's new! rarely happens.

God doesn't only speak of His love through His words but also through His actions! (coming down to die for us? come on! no humans would ever think of loving someone so hateful to such an extent!)

And sometimes, even when the person says the wrong thing - it's still loving and pleasing to God when we say nothing and bear with it! (but not all the time tho - even unconditional love is wise in giving its love).

anyway, i ended up taking a slightly different path than what i meant to take. if you noticed how un-organized the thinking process is.. it's because i'm struggling on how to bring my "original" intention to this already developing thought (which was not in my original plan).

Anyhow, i hope this post can be a blessing and thought provoking for you.. (in whatever ways that means)