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seems like the majority of people i walk with these days are struggling. really. it’s the majority.
the struggles are different…and similar. no need to list them. you already know what they are. you’ve been there yourself. if you haven’t, you’ll be there soon enough. it’s called life.
during some seasons, life comes at us in ripples. other times it comes at us in waves. still other times a tsunami would not describe what we are going through. and life goes on.
one of things i often hear good-hearted people ask at these times is, “what is god trying to teach me through all of this?” hey…it’s a good question. for the record, i think it’s a particularly insensitive question for someone else to ask…but it seems to be a favorite of really religious people. sort of a higher ground kind of a question that smacks of spiritual superiority. but that’s for another post someday…
here’s the problem i have with the question. when i ask myself this question, i feel as if i am painting god into a corner. i understand some about the doctrine of the sovereignty of god and his omnipotency and foreknowledge and a bunch of other things that go along with this line of theology…but i’m not comfortable with it.
i just don’t see evidence in scripture to warrant the belief that god is behind every bad thing that happens to me…secretly weaving a tapestry of difficulty and hurt and discouragement and evil…simply so he can teach me a lesson. i just don’t buy it.
i don’t have all the answers. i have many unanswered questions. most of the time i see myself as one, big, perpetual shoulder shrug when it comes to giving suitable explanations for the unexplained.
but my faith in god remains unchallenged. as a matter of fact, it continues to grow stronger in the face of struggle. his promise to be with me as i walk through the valley is sufficient to keep me moving forward.
as for the question…i prefer to state it slightly different: “what can i learn from this?”
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