Good People, Hard Times: Understanding God's Goodness

I got to thinking about last weeks talks of “doing good” and how it seems there is this weird idea of God Karma or something some people have. What I mean by that is it seems as though we can fall into the trap of thinking if we do good, God will reward us with good stuff. Conversely, if we don’t obey or stray from our Father, He will punish us with suffering. Here’s the rub in that thinking. Y’all remember Job? He was really good...and yet he was allowed to suffer and never really knew why. AND, God is good. Job never found out why he suffered. Most times, we don’t either. Sometimes we see the big picture. Sometimes God reveals to us what He has in mind. Sometimes He doesn’t. We simply do not know the ways of God and are left no other option than to trust. Dig?Look, God never promised an easy life. Actually, He promises the opposite: “In this world you will have trouble.” However, this hard promise ends, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”I don’t know why suffering happens, and cliche answers are offensive to those who are suffering. But I do know what happens when people see the pain of others and respond with Christ’s love. I have seen first hand how God shows us what love looks like in pain. Meals delivered, Hospital rooms visited, prayer given, kids watched, lawns mowed and hope shared. God doesn’t ask us to have all the answers but simply reminds us that this world is not our home. Suffering makes us desperately long for His return and encourages us to follow His example of love in action for those in need. Good things don’t always happen to good people, but God is still good and invites you and me to be His hands and feet to those in need, even when we don’t have answers to the difficult problem of pain and suffering.Be Nice. Grace Wins.