What kind of god would you actually want?

In conversations about meaning and faith, I often arrive at the same point. People sincerely ask me: 'How can you now believe in a God while there is so much misery in the world?' It is one of the most honest and understandable questions there are. When we look at wars, illness, and personal loss, the absence of an almighty helmsman seems the most logical conclusion.

Yet I often then ask a counter-question: 'What kind of God would you actually want?'

The God of miracles or the God of growth?

Often we unconsciously dream of a God who, like a genie from a lamp, fulfills our wishes. A God who performs miracles every day, immediately takes away all pain, and instantly transforms the world into a paradise. That sounds appealing, but if we dig deeper, the question arises: would we truly be happier from that? Or even better: would we grow as humans from that?

In my faith, we look at the beginning of our human story in a specific way, and that sheds a completely different light on this matter.

A choice for wisdom in the Garden of Eden

The story of Adam and Eve is often told as a tragic mistake, but we see it differently. In the Garden of Eden, they lived in a paradise where there was no pain, but also no progress. They were given the choice to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They understood very well that this choice meant they had to leave the garden.

They chose the possibility to:

• Experience joy by also knowing adversity.
• Learn the difference between good and evil by making choices themselves.
• Make progress instead of remaining eternally in a static state.

Without that 'fall', we would simply stand still. We would not gain experiences, learn no lessons, and ultimately not become the person we potentially can be.

Why a 'miracle god' would limit our freedom

The concept of  freedom of choice is the core of our existence. We believe that before we came to earth, we lived with our Heavenly Parents. There it was explained to us that it was time to learn to stand on our own two feet. That process is essential for our growth, but it carries a great risk: we make mistakes. And others make mistakes that affect us.

If God were to intervene directly with every injustice or every wrong choice, our freedom of choice would cease to exist. We would then no longer be free actors, but extras in a play where the director corrects every movement.

Moreover, the world is a web of connections. A miracle for one can be a disadvantage for another. If God were to constantly bend the laws of nature or human will to prevent misery, we would never learn to deal with the reality of cause and effect.

A plan of salvation for when we make mistakes

Because our Heavenly Father knew that we would make mistakes and that life would be difficult, He did not abandon us to our fate. A solution was needed for the guilt we would inevitably accumulate and for the pain we would experience.

That is where the role of Jesus Christ is central. He took it upon Himself to bear our burdens and suffer for our sins. Not to take over our struggle, but to keep the way back home open, no matter how often we stumble. This means we are allowed to learn, fall, and get up again.

Strength instead of a solution

The most important lesson I have learned is that faith is not meant to make life easier by removing all problems. It does become 'easier' in another way: through the promise that we are never alone and that we will always find the strength to deal with our challenges.

God does not promise us that the storm will subside as soon as we ask. He does promise us:

• Strength to endure the storm.
• Insight to understand what we can learn from the situation.
• Comfort that gives our heart peace, even if circumstances do not change.

The reality of deep human suffering

I realize this sounds easy when you write it down like this, but practice is stubborn. The loss of a loved one or hearing a diagnosis of an incurable disease are moments you wouldn't wish on anyone. They are the darkest pages in a person's life.

Yet I dare to assert that precisely in those deep valleys there are lessons to be learned that we find nowhere else. When we look at the  eternal plan — the idea that this life is just a short chapter in a much larger story — that pain takes on another dimension. It gives a form of acceptance and peace. It allows us to say: 'This is incredibly difficult, but I know I can get through it and that I will eventually grow through it.'

An invitation to reflection

People looking for a miracle God, I invite you to consider this perspective. What if God doesn't remove problems, but gives us the means to deal with them? That is a fundamental difference. A God who solves everything for you treats you like a child. A God who gives you the strength to do it yourself treats you as a full-fledged being with divine potential.

For me, faith is not an 'escape' from reality, but a toolbox to face that reality with a raised head. In the most difficult moments, when I wonder 'if this will still work', I find confirmation through prayer: 'You can do this.' That trust in a Heavenly Father who knows what is truly best for us - even if that path runs over sharp stones - is immensely instructive.

I invite everyone to reflect on that question: what kind of God would you want? Perhaps you will discover that a God who gives you strength is ultimately much more valuable than a God who only performs miracles.