I’m not sure if I’ve ever written these thoughts down, but I have been reflecting on them for some time.
In the Book of Job, Job and his friends and family do what many people do when something terrible happens: they attempt to make meaning out of that tragedy.
In the Book of Job, many members of his family die on the same day. He loses his wealth and then he loses his health. And then he and his friends and family begin to make meaning. His friends suggest that these problems were caused by his sin; and both God and the reader know that they are wrong. God even says to Job’s friend Eliphaz, “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” The reader and God both know something that neither Job nor his friends know; that this trial all started with a conversation between God and Satan.
Satan suggested that Job didn’t really love God, he just loved how God had blessed him. Satan suggested that if Job’s blessings were taken from him, that he would curse God. God knew that this was not true, and gave Satan permission to take Job’s family, wealth and health to prove His point.
This leads me to a few conclusions:
- God never tells Job why all of this happened.
We would love it, if that at the end of the story, that God would say to Job, “you passed the test! I knew that you would!” But God doesn’t. God feels no obligation to explain to Job why this pain was introduced in his life. I suspect that God feels no obligation to explain why pain enters our lives either. Just as in Job’s story, God has a plan, and God is in control. - Everyone who thought that they knew why this pain came into Job’s life was wrong.
Job’s friends thought that he had sinned, but he didn’t sin. They all had theories, but no one guessed that God was in a cosmic argument with Satan. No one even came close to that idea. I suspect that when we go through our own trials, that we, or a well meaning friend or mentor, may attempt to explain why this is happening. Their explanation may have sound logic, or Scriptural grounding, and it may be completely wrong. Again, God has His plan that He alone knows, and He is in control. - Finally, this pain did not come into Job’s life because he had sinned.
When we go through trials, we often think that God is testing me, or maybe God wants me to learn something. We think that God is maturing me, or strengthening me. We think that He is rooting sin, or a lack of discipline out of our lives. But that wasn’t the reason in Job’s case at all. Pain was not introduced into Job’s life because he had sinned, or needed to learn something; pain was introduced into Job’s life because God was proud of him. God was impressed with Job, He says that to Satan. God knew that he would stand the test. He introduced pain into Job’s life to show just how amazing that Job is. No one would have known how amazing job's character was unless he had gone through his troubles.
So, if you’re going through a trial, and are trying to make meaning of it, consider this: maybe God wants to grow you, and maybe He wants you to repent. Maybe He is trying to teach you something, but maybe God has introduced this trial into your life because He is actually proud of you. He is impressed with you and wants to show the world how strong you are under trial. He wants to display to others how strong that your character is. Maybe God isn’t angry with you at all, maybe He thinks you’re amazing; and He is providing an example for others to follow as they watch your life.
God is love.
-rev-rob
