Lately I have been struggling with the big “Why?” Why do
godly people get hurt? Why do plans go awry? Why is there tension among the
body of Christ? Why do we experience loss? Why does God give good things to
people who don’t love Him and don’t want His gifts, but doesn’t give the same
good things to people who do love Him and would cherish His gifts? It has been
a struggle in which I’ve almost felt betrayed by God. The overwhelming question
of “Why does God let bad things happen?”
In several conversations I’ve had lately I’ve been given
little tidbits of wisdom, maybe even a couple of answers to my questions. Why do godly people get hurt? Could it be
that God is allowing this trial in their life to draw them closer to Himself. I
think of Job and horrible turn his life took and yet in the midst of his
desolation he was praising the Lord for the things he had already
received. And then there is the passage
“All things work together for good for those who love God and are called
according to His purpose”. It doesn’t say all things are good, but that all
things work together for good. Maybe God
is allowing this trouble and will give them a testimony from it.
Why do plans go awry? Well, maybe God’s plan is
better! I’m learning that God knows me
better than I know myself and maybe He doesn’t give me everything I want
because He knows that’s not really what I need. (For I know the plans I have
for you, plans to give you a hope and a future. – Jer. 29:11)
Why is there tension amongst the body of Christ? Maybe this
is our God-given opportunity to learn and grow in unity by expressing
humility. Maybe this is our chance to
take a step back and listen to one another and dive deep into what is causing
the issue. I was fortunate to see this theory in action recently and man was it
a blessing to see a disastrous situation turn into an edifying situation.
Why are gifts given where they aren’t wanted? Maybe it’s
because God is going to use that gift to turn lives around. Maybe that gift is
going to be such a huge blessing in that person’s life that they will never be
the same. Maybe that gift is going to open new doors of opportunity. And
really, maybe I just don’t need to know why that gift was given, because it’s
not really any of my business.
Why do we experience loss? I don’t think there’s one good
answer for any of these questions really, but the first thing that comes to
mind for this is that in our suffering we can be a witness for Christ. In our
pain we can be comfort to others walking our same path. So that we can learn
not to rely on ourselves for our strength but to lean upon one who is greater.
So we can stop with our busyness and thank God for the blessings we’ve
received.
I’ve started a challenge. Air1 talked about doing a 100 day
challenge and I decided to join them. Their only guideline was doing something
purposefully every day for 100 days. I decided to keep a journal of
gratefulness. I want to write at least one thing each day. So I’m writing down things that I’m grateful
for in that moment. Some are simple and even silly, but I believe the more I
focus on having a thankful heart the happier I will be. How can my spirit not
be encouraged when God is showing me His works in even the most minute way. I
want to get away from asking God “why?” and get to a place of say “thanks for
what I do have”. I’m going to try to
make Thursday the day I post about something I’ve been grateful for in the last
week. I welcome you to join me on this
journey towards having a thankful heart.
