Most of us remember the story of Job. He was the wealthiest man in all of the East. He had a houseful of 10 children. He was a righteous man who feared God and turned away from evil, so that even God said there was no one else like him. And that made him a target for Satan: would Job still serve God when everything was taken away from him? In a flash, he lost it all—his cattle, his flocks, even his children. Eventually, Job himself was afflicted with a gruesome disease. Yet, through all of this, he did not sin, he did not turn against God.
But he did question God. That takes much of the rest of the book, but a good example is in Job 7. Job laments his affliction, and then he cries out:
What is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
visit him every morning and test him every moment?
How long will you not look away from me,
nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?
If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind?
Why have you made me your mark?
Why have I become a burden to you? (Job 7:17-20)
None of us has been afflicted quite like Job. But we have experienced enough of the heartaches of life to identify with this feeling. We have probably all found ourselves at one time or another crying out, “Why, Lord? Why did this happen to me? Why am I being punished?”
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
There are some who would give you a quick and simple answer to that question. In most Eastern religions, they will say that you are in a cycle of reincarnation, being punished in this life for some sin in a previous existence. Some respond to tragedy by saying it proves there is no God; if there were, he would not allow these things to happen. Of course, the question is even the title of a best-selling book by Rabbi Harold Kushner. He gives a different answer: God wants good things for us, but is not always able to arrange it. His conclusion is that God is not all-powerful. But we ought to understand that and love God anyway and forgive Him for His shortcomings.
None of those is what Scripture teaches. In Revelation 15:3-4 we have this vision of God being praised: Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, King of the Nations. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed. God is holy and amazing and just and all-knowing and all-powerful. And as we look at Him and ourselves in comparison, we begin to realize that we don’t know it all.
We cannot always tell what is good and what is best. The story of Joseph is a good example along this line. He is sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of attempting to rape his master’s wife, and cast into prison. Meanwhile, his father is grieving over his death as it was reported to him by Joseph’s brothers. That is all about as bad as it gets—until suddenly Joseph finds himself second in command over the whole nation of Egypt. Remember the words of Joseph years later as he speaks to his brothers? You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. (Gen 50:20) If you and I don’t really know what is best, perhaps we are asking the wrong question.
What is the Purpose of My Life?
You see, if you can determine what your life is all about, then you have purpose and direction; on the other hand, if you don’t know where you’re going, then life to you may seem virtually meaningless. So how would you answer that question? We could all cite a lot of wrong answers that people give to that in our world.
More importantly, what goal or purpose does God have for our lives? In Isaiah 43:6-7 we have a vision of God saving his people, gathering them up, and he speaks some very important words: bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. This is a picture of God calling His family together. And if we are a part of the family of God, we have here our purpose in life, the reason He made us: to glorify God, to reflect His presence, and to represent Him with our lives.
God’s Purpose for My Life
Recognizing that should change our attitude and our actions. First, as part of his family, our lives are precious. It is a gift from God, and we need to treasure it. We need to live it as best we can to His glory.
Secondly, if our purpose is to glorify Him, then we need to be of service to others. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second greatest commandment is to love my neighbor as myself. I need to be concerned about my neighbor.
Finally, we need to realize that we are living not by explanations but by promises. Scripture, never really tries to explain the why of suffering to us. The resolution for poor Job was that God appeared to him and challenged him back: who are YOU to question ME, Job? Do you know everything? Job realized the answer was for him to trust God and his control. You can read all about the thorn in the flesh that Paul complained about. You will never understand why. All you hear is the promise of God, My grace is sufficient for you.
We have a choice. We can drown in pain and suffering and sorrow and feel pity for ourselves. Or we can get up and claim the glory of God by the way we live.
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