Perhaps it’s only human nature to be self-centered – assuming the events of our life are just about us. But we’re not the center of our story, God is. And so it’s good to regularly pause and remember who we are, and our various plights, in light of who he is.
For instance, Job’s story is the epitome of human suffering. He lost everything through no fault of his own, and he rightly grieved these losses. And naturally he would try to wrestle to make sense of everything.
But God never gave him the inside scoop, and instead asked Job a very piercing and reorienting question: Who is this that questions my wisdom? God went on to challenge Job – reminding him that God alone is God, sovereign over everything and that it’s his story Job is participating in.
And this is often the reorientation we need as we deal with the pain and suffering of this life as well. Of course, this is not to suggest our heartaches and miseries are unimportant. They still matter and need to be rightly honored, but honored as we keep them in a proper perspective within God’s story.
We’re not the center of the universe, and this is good news! How depressing it would be if God’s goodness were dependent on the personal outcomes of our story. God is working many things out beyond our understanding. And we can trust in his ultimate goodness.
To be sure, we place ourselves on the verge of despair when we make everything about us.
In the end, lament and cry out when faced with the many sorrows of this world. Yet through your tears remember God is God and you are not. While meaningful to you, your suffering is not the center of his story. And this is good news! Who are you to question God’s wisdom?
Photo by Jeffrey Keenan on Unsplash
