Why me?

Have you ever asked yourself the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I’m sure that you have. We have all had times in our Christian life when something has happened that causes us to ask “why me?”

This is even more confusing when it seems that you are doing everything right. You are attending church, paying your tithes, living a godly life and then all of a sudden “BAM” trouble hits. This is something that Christian people have been struggling with for years. It makes sense to us when someone that is missing church and living like the devil has problems, but not when it seems like they (we) are doing right.

I have been going through a similar situation lately in my life. My main job is in retail sales. As you can imagine retail sales have not been great lately with the economy as it is. This has had an impact on me and my family. I haven’t been missing church, I pay my tithes, I teach a bible school class, but I am having a difficult time. (I am saying this not for you to feel sorry for me, but that maybe I can help someone else.)

This is not the first time I have had ups and downs in my life. This time I have determined though not to handle the situation with a bad attitude (that has been hard). In the past I have become depressed and angry with my circumstances, and even become angry with God. Before you look down on me for this remembers that happens to all of us. Even the great Job complained that the suffering God brought into his life was not fair. Job complained that God’s judgment was too much, and that God would not even allow him to catch his breath.

Let me point out a few things that will maybe help you if you are going through a tough time. (Maybe these things will help both of us.)

1. God never makes a mistake. There is a reason for this trouble in your life. God doesn't do anything by accident.
2. God is not overlooking your situation. God knows right where you are and what you are struggling with. It may not seem like it sometimes, but He knows. There was a time during Job's suffering that he could not seem to find God. Job stated that even when he didn't know where God was, God knew where he was.
3. One of God’s greatest blessings is the blessing of suffering. Each and every great character in the bible suffered at some point. You will learn more about God’s love and grace during times of suffering than any other time in your life. (See Romans 5:3-5)
4. One day this will all be worth it. If God allows suffering to come into your life, He will bring you through it. Job was blessed with twice as much as God took away from him. Christ had to suffer the cross before He could purchase the church. Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned before he was a ruler in Egypt. It will be worth it one day.

 

Allow me to say one more thing before I finish. It is not wrong to ask “why.” It’s not even wrong to ask God “why.” Jesus asked while hanging on the cross “My God, My God WHY hast thou forsaken me?” At the same time we must be careful not to become angry with God. Please trust Him. God has not abandoned you. If He brought this into your life it was not without a purpose. In the end you will be better off than if you would have never suffered at all. You may not be able to see it right now, but one day you (we) will.

Don’t mistake your suffering for sin!

 This blog will go against the teachings of many preachers and churches, but the Bible is clear on this matter. Many times people assume that if a person has suffering or hardships in their life that means they must also have sin in their life. While it is true that we are warned in the scriptures not to suffer as an evil doer, it is also clear that many suffer while being in the perfect will of God.

In fact, sometimes the greatest blessings you can experience in your walk with Christ is the blessing of suffering. Throughout the pages of the scriptures we read instances of people who suffered, and their suffering resulted in blessings.

The lion that tried to kill Samson later feed him. A sick daughter brought Jarius to Jesus. Drought and depression brought Elijah to Mount Carmel. There was a flood in Noah’s life before there was a rainbow. Joseph suffered slavery and imprisonment before he saved the lives of millions of people. Jesus suffered the death of Calvary so that you and I can be saved. In fact the scriptures say that it was for the “joy that was set before Him” that He endured the cross.

I could tell you stories of Daniel in the lion’s den, the three Hebrew children in the furnace of fire, Paul’s beatings and ship wreck, Peter’s imprisonment, John’s exile on Patmos and the list goes on and on. All of these suffered, but they soon discovered that their suffering was actually a blessing in their life. Jesus promised you and me that if we are going to reign with Him we must first suffer with Him. You will learn more about God in the valley than you will on the mountain top.

I recently taught for a week at Valley View Baptist church in Knoxville. During the week I taught on “From Despair to Deliverance, The Story of Esther.” It amazed me that after I taught these lessons on despair many of the people shared with me how that God had blessed them during the lowest times of their lives.

A man may stand up and tell people “if you get saved all of your problems will just go away.” That’s sounds wonderful, and these men will get many followers. It takes a true man of God however to stand up and tell people the truth that Christians may suffer while following Jesus. Jesus made it very clear that if a person wanted to “reign” with Him they must first “suffer” with Him.

If you are suffering today, and you know that you are right with God, please know that God has allowed those hardships into your life for a reason. The thing that is threatening your life today will be a blessing to you one day. God will teach you more about Himself, and how to trust Him during this time than any other time in your life. God will make your trial a blessing.