The Big Question: Why God?

Recently I’ve been ministering to quite a number of people who are going through some pretty tough times. For some it’s sickness; for others it’s anxiety and stress. Some are facing job challenges. Some are experiencing marital conflict or family issues.  Kim and I too have some stuff we are dealing with in our own lives.  The question that seems to arise over and over again is what I would call the big question of life: Why God? That is, is there any purpose to the many difficulties that we face in our lives? Is there any reason behind the sickness, stress, and challenging situations we are facing? Or, is it all just for naught? 

Now, I don’t want to give the impression that God brings all kinds of bad stuff into our lives in order to fulfill some master design, using us as if we are mere pawns on a cosmic chessboard!  The truth is, most often, the difficulties and pain that we face within our lives are a result of the fact that we live in a fallen world in which everything tends towards conflict, pain, and death.  But, the Bible does teach us that God is able to step into every situation of our lives, even the most difficult and tragic of situations, and use them for good purposes. 

In John 11, Jesus’ good friend Lazarus fell sick and then died. His sisters were in mourning. Even Jesus, as he went to Lazarus’ tomb, wept tears of grief.  And, I am sure that, Lazarus’ family and friends were asking, the big question: “Why God?”

But, I want us to take note of Jesus’s words when he first heard of Lazarus’ illness. Upon receiving the bad news, Jesus said to his disciples, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”  (John 11:4 – NIV)  In his heart Jesus knew that God the Father would not allow any of the pain that they were all facing to be wasted. Rather, God would step in and replace sickness and death with glory—his glory, glory for Jesus God’s Son; a glory that would bring new joy, hope, and faith to all those who had been impacted by sickness and death.  In a sense, we might say it was less about the “why” as it was about the “what”—i.e. what God would do in the midst of all the sickness and pain.

Today, you might be looking at what is taking place in your life and be asking the big question: “Why God? That’s ok. But, I want to encourage you today to not look so much for the why’s of life (for we will never fully know or understand the “why”), but to look for the what’s of God’s work within your life. That is, let’s instead ask, what is it that God might do with the pain, suffering, and tears of my life? What might God do to bring about something new and beautiful within my life? In what ways might God be glorified as he brings about new joy, hope, and faith in my heart and within those around me? 

Let’s trust God with our lives today as we look for his hand at work within even the most difficult circumstances that we might be face.  He does “work all things together for the good” of his people.  (Romans 8:28)

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris