Creativity Often Grows in the Soil of Suffering

I like your first paragraph there. It is true that pain makes us search for answers. Yes, truths we may otherwise never confront. That was a brilliant statement, right there. It's important to explore all avenues, so that we can make an informed decision, as well. Respectfully, each have a right to their own decision. I believe God because he is no liar. I have found that out for myself. Others may not agree, and that's okay.

Peterlee has blocked me:

"peterlee
I have withdrawn my comments concerning Suffering, due to your harassment of me. Apologised to Ratkin, and decided to block you."

That is fine, but I see no reason to do that, as that is why we are here in the Forum to discuss these things civilly. What he calls harassment, was simply my replying to his comment, sharing my understanding according to God's word. I guess he got upset because I disagreed with him. Since when do we have to apologize for stating our beliefs? How else will we learn, unless we are able to discuss these things in this forum? I see no need to get upset, when that's what we're all here for, so we can learn from each other. We can read all the replies and then decide for ourselves, what we wish to believe. I tried to tell him that but he blocked me before I could reply.

Nicely expressed.☀
Can be true, but for me, mine bloomed/blooms more when I am in love or loving and thriving. It can be quite hard to channel that pain into something constructive.

That’s a hard call. For me, creativity is part of light and soulful happiness.

Pain is just burdensome, darkness. I would agree that pain can be cured with an epiphany which itself inspires creativity; but, I wouldn’t call unresolved pain and creativity bedfellows.

Pain is what draws us to the remedy. Jesus Christ said he is the remedy. People usually don't turn to Christ unless they're in pain and that's when the Holy Spirit comes to comfort and leads that person to come to Christ for help.

Our conscience was given us by God, as an internal moral awareness of Himself as a higher standard of justice and goodness. While general revelation points to a "higher power," it is insufficient for a personal or saving relationship with God.

Why we need Jesus: Our spirits are dead to the things of God (Romans 8:8).

"In the past, you were spiritually dead because of your sins." Ephesians 2:1

Every human being in the world exists in one of two categories: spiritually dead or spiritually alive. Religion can not make a dead man live. Good works, effort, and tradition may look like life to other dead people, but they have no spiritual power to transform from the inside out. No religious affiliation ever died for our sins. Christ paid the highest price to redeem us from the clutches of Satan. Sin destroys; Jesus brings our spirit to life. We were all dead in our trespasses and sins, but we can be made alive through the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 2:13).

Before we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s urging, our spirits are dead to the things of God (Romans 8:8). We have no good within ourselves and no desire to submit to our Creator. We are dead spiritually and have no way to make ourselves alive. Just as a corpse cannot do anything to help himself, so we cannot save ourselves or make a move to cleanse our sins. We cannot even produce the desire to obey God. We were dead because of our sin. Dead people need a life-giver. John 1:4 says of Jesus, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Until I reveal myself to you, you do not know me. You will never know me, until you read about me, hear of me, or see me. That's just a given.

The Bible says we cannot know the divine, until the divine comes to us. God sends his Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and lives and invites us to accept Jesus as our personal Savior. The Holy Spirit's role is to convict people of their sins, so they know to repent and ask Jesus to forgive them, which he readily does. He turns no one away.

This is so true, we get reborn ✨