It’s certainly easier to be grateful when life is going well. But life is also filled with much heartache, pain, and grief. And it’s tempting in these moments to curse God for allowing us to suffer such fate. But, with Job, we must learn to accept the good and the bad of our story.
To be sure, this was a struggle for Job’s wife. After seeing him lose everything, she said Job should stop worrying about his integrity, and instead, just curse God and die. To Job this sounded foolish. How could he accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? But often we side with Job’s wife when hardships come our way.
Perhaps we wonder why we still try to do good when we cannot avoid the troubles of life. It seems worth it to do what’s right when it comes with the payoff of the good life. But what’s the point when we have to suffer like everyone else, and maybe even worse?
On the one hand, this is a reasonable expectation of sowing and reaping. When we work hard, take care of our health, give to others in need, regularly volunteer at church, and the like, then it’s not unreasonable to expect certain blessings and favor to come our way. But, as Job reminds us, things are not always as they appear. And sometimes we must suffer due to no fault of our own.
But the faith and perspective of Job are key. He ultimately keeps his trust in God, as even his laments are directed toward him – the one who can make a difference. He doesn’t blame others, nor does he compromise his integrity. In short, he doesn’t try to force life to conform to his understanding; rather he surrenders himself to God.
In the end, humbly accept the good and the bad God allows in your story. And, like Job, hold to your integrity and trust God even as you cry out for understanding and relief.
Photo by Wikimedia
