Lesson from Job
We recently comleted a series on Job. One of my regular readers (yes, I do have a few of those) sent in the following (edited) comment which brought up another issue that I thought we’d address.
“I am really enjoying this series! Like many others, I have never given any serious thought to Mrs. Job’s grief due to the loss of her children. I can relate to how she may of felt. I was angry with God at one point in my life because of a loss of life. I thank you for helping to make God’s words and ways so plain for us. My reactions of anger directed at God were not so different than Mrs. Job… I have some relief when I am able to see that this may be a natural reaction to an unrealistic belief. I had a belief that things will always go GOOD in one’s life, never encountering the BAD.” G.C.
What this commenter says at the end of her comment is something I think worth discussing further. And it has little to do with Job or Mrs. Job specifically, but a lot to do with faith, religion and spirituality.
Get out of Jail Free
Somewhere along the line, many of us have bought into the fairytale that our lives will be perfect, perfected or materialistically blessed to overflowing based solely on the fact that we believe in Christ. We have come to think that we have some type of eternal “get out of jail, free” card.
I’m here to tell you, boys and girls, that this is not sound thinking inside or outside of the church.
What we get is not stuff. We get peace! And, when we get this peace, it does not mean that our children will become perfect, or that we won’t have ever have another disaster in our lives, or that our loved ones won’t get sick and die. What it means, at least what I think it means is that we have an internal and unshakeable peace. The Apostle Paul says it best, a “peace beyond all human understanding”.
This is a peace we can remain with, and one that we can return to. And, besides this, a Comforter that is with us, and ever-available to us to help us get and/ or keep our collective acts together.
Parenting
Here’s the key: this Comforter is like a parent. And like any other parent, He can’t keep us from skinning our knee or getting into quarrels, or screwing ourselves up financially. But, like every parent, He can love us, and hold us, and teach us, and love us, and love us…
And we can reach out for that peace of mind again and again and again. It is always there.
So, here in Job, despite the tone of rebuke in his voice, he is saying to his wife, and by extension to us, “Life is life. We must take the bitter with the sweet and, the good with the bad.”
But, as Job has said earlier, I know that my Redeemer will come…
What do you think?
