Countless people have pondered that question. Good people and bad people. Young people and old people. The fact is, bad stuff happens to us all. Really crummy stuff. Heart-wrenching stuff. It might make sense at times to assume that God is mad at us, or He is simply too busy to care about what we are going through. I don’t believe either one of those statements are true.
First let me say that many bad things happen because of other people’s actions towards us, directly or indirectly. This is just part of living in a fallen world. We all have free will and sometimes the choices we make have not-so-great consequences. Considering this, I do believe that God is sovereign over everything and He can turn rotten things around to be used for good.
God does have a purpose for letting us go through difficult times. One possible purpose is to draw us closer to Him. When things are going great and life is smooth-sailing, we are more likely to forget about God. Sometimes, it’s only when we experience difficulties that we pray and begin to seek Him again. When things get so rough that we are at the end of our rope, it is then that we have to hand things over and rely completely on Him. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he wrote:
7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Cor 12:7-10, The Message)
No one is certain what Paul’s handicap was (some translations call it a “thorn in his flesh”) but he was actually thankful for it because it forced him to rely on God’s strength instead of his own. He also writes about a difficult time on one of his missionary journeys:
It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally…(2 Cor 1:8-9, The Message)
I think God would rather allow us to experience troubles, in order to draw us closer to Him, than to let us live a carefree life with no thought ever given to Him.
Another possible purpose for pain is growth. We learn things when we go through difficult times. We mature. I’m sure we can all think back to memorable times in our lives when we seemed to do a lot of maturing. These times are also usually filled with challenges. James wrote:
2-4Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4, The Message)
It could also be that God is disciplining you. When I first considered it, I thought “Really? That seems harsh that He would actually intend for me to go through pain instead of just allowing it to happen.” But, I found the following passage in Hebrews that says just that:
..My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,
but don't be crushed by it either.
It's the child he loves that he disciplines;
the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves… (Hebrews 12:5-7, The Message)
As a parent of a three-year-old and an almost-one-year-old, I understand the importance of discipline. If we did not discipline them, they would become spoiled brats who had the run of the house and got into all sorts of trouble, likely harming themselves in the process! We discipline them because we love them and want them to grow up and be the best men they can be. Ok God, I get it. The parenting analogies always bring it home. :)
Another possible purpose is one I had never thought of until recently. God may be allowing us to suffer so that our actions during our troubles can be a testimony to others who don’t know Him and He can be ultimately glorified through it all. Our true character is shown in difficult times. What do you do when things aren’t going exactly how you would like? Do you throw a pity party for yourself and whine to everyone you know so you can get their attention and secure an outlet for your complaining? Or, do you hold fast to what you know to be true of God and trust He is in control? A person who is experiencing unimaginable pain and still displaying true faith in God goes against everything the world does…and is an awesome testimony to God. God can do amazing things through lives such as those. An example in found in Acts when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail on one of their missionary journeys.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25, NIV)
I can imagine what the other prisoners were thinking. Here they are, at midnight, locked up with these guys who have just been beaten badly and imprisoned, with no idea of how long they would be in there, and these guys were singing??? Are they out of their minds? Those other prisoners noticed how Paul and Silas were acting in the heart of their troubles. People notice what you do when you are in the middle of tough times too.
Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed….(2 Cor 6:3-5, The Message)
When I see someone staying true to their faith in times of great pain, it makes me think “Wow. That’s real. Their trust in Jesus is completely authentic”…and I want to be like that.
So, what to do now? Maybe you are smack dab in the middle of the most difficult thing you have ever experienced and feel there is no way to get out of it. The first thing to do is to acknowledge that God is sovereign. He is in control of everything and he does love you. So much more than you could ever comprehend. Start by talking to Him, pray his will over the situation. Even Jesus did this while he prayed in the garden shortly before he was arrested and crucified:
41-44He pulled away from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?" At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face. (Luke 22:41-44, The Message)
Jesus asked that the cup be taken from Him, but also that His father’s will be done. God’s will was not to take that cup away from Jesus, but He did give Him strength to see it through and for His purpose to be fulfilled.
Whatever you do, don’t waste your trials. Come through them having been matured and brought closer to God. Come through them having stayed true to your faith in God as the one who is in control of it all, glorifying Him through your actions so that others can see an example of authentic faith. Realize that He is sovereign and that He does love you. He may or may not resolve the situation as you see fit, but He does have a purpose in it all. Talk to Him, pray that His will be done and that He would give you the strength to see it through.
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