Ridgell's Originals

 It is an old problem, but that makes it no less painful.  It seems even more intense this time of year.  Random and sudden sickeness.  Empty seats at the table.  Kidnappings and abuse.  Alcoholism.  Broken relationships.  

Suffering and pain from other people's choices that wreck lives.  Collateral damage.  

Which raises the question:  where is God?  Why does He not stop the pain?  Prevent the damage?  Why are some spared consequences and others not?  

It is a quesion non-beleivers sometimes raise when we try and talk about our faith.  It is a fair question.  And for what it is worth, my answer is always in the first few chapters of Genesis. God made a perfect world.  Man made bad choices that ruined it.  God is fixing it.

But it is a very real question for believers also.  Whein talking with believers struggling with this this question, my answer is found by looking at the book of Job.  So much to digest from that book.  And people far smarter than me have delved deeply into the book of Job.  But when I am in these discussions, I do see three clear truths that I share from Job.

Maybe they will help you if you are wrestling with this.  Maybe these will equip you to help someone.

First.  It is clear in the very first part of Job that good and evil, suffering and pain, is not always about us.  The book of Job is a lesson about God and Satan.  Satan is challenging faith.  God is upholding faith.  Job is being used by God to show that Satan is wrong.  That he is lying about faith.  That faith is real and true.  It is not the result of some kind of God bribe.  God is true.  Satan is a liar.  And everything is not about us.  We should know that as believers.

Second.  Believers, strong faith believers, sometimes struggle with the why.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do good things happen to bad people (especially if they are not happening to me)?  I am trying to do what is right.  Or, I am doing what is right.  Shouldn't that be worth something?  These are all questions that even believers stuggle with.  Why me?  Asking God for answers.  Demanding God answer.  At least let me see how this suffering matters.  Who will it help?  How will it help?  This is of the central themes of Job.  A good man questioning what is happening to him.  Believers will struggle with their faith.

Third.  Believers eventually remember that God is God, not us.  He is so far above us that we would not understand his ways even if He explained them to us.  He is God.  We are not.  And sometimes that means sitting in the dirt with tears running down our cheeks.  Not understanding.  But believing.  Believing in the God that moves mountains.  Believing the the God that redeems our pain.  Believing in the God that will someday bring us home and wipe away all the tears.

Job.

If you want more, look at the first part of Genesis.  Read about how Jesus endured the suffering in his life.  Check out James.  Pick any hero in the Bible and look for the suffering and pain in their life.  And look around at your community of faith.  

Suffering and pain.  God and faith.

All of these are real.  And they really are all connected.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM