|
 The Whole World Plays Hurt
How Can God Be Good if He Allows All This Evil?
What is God Doing While We Suffer?
Pain: God’s Bullhorn
Refined Like Silver
Exemplary Suffering
God Has a Better Idea
God Has Scars Too
Comfort for Julie
God Wants to Comfort You
|
Why Do Bad Things Happen?
The Whole World Plays Hurt
Sports commentators praise athletes who play hurt, who give their best although hampered by injuries. Do you know what? The whole world is playing hurt. We keep playing the game of life despite an endless list of hard knocks.
-
Families are torn apart by dysfunctions, addictions, abuse, and divorce.
-
Workers are stressed by unemployment and low income.
-
Terrorist attacks murder innocent people.
-
War ravages countries, leaving graves, widows and orphans.
-
Diseases bring pain, suffering, and death.
-
Robbery and oppression leave people poor and defenseless.
-
Earthquakes and tsunamis leave thousands of victims in their wake.
Add your own difficulties and disappointments to the list. No one is exempt. My personal list of “bad things” includes:
-
The death of parents.
-
Assorted physical injuries.
-
Rebellion and poor decisions of children.
-
Under-employment and diminished income.
-
The disrespect of colleagues.
-
False accusations and slander.
-
Burnout and depression.
-
Skeletons appearing from the family closet.
-
Sandwich generation challenges.
Number 10 just arrived. I’m writing this in a hospital waiting room while my wife, Julie, is having cancer surgery. I admit that sometimes I’ve buckled under these ten burdens. I’ve wrestled with God. I’ve questioned His faithfulness. Yet here I am writing this booklet, because the Lord has taught me to keep on trusting Him—even in the dark.
When a child gets hurt, he or she pleads, “Mommy, kiss it!” Mom dutifully kisses the bruise and the child walks away, comforted and assured that everything is better. This works with children, but as adults we want something that will really heal us. Perhaps you picked up this booklet hoping it would give a simple, magic answer to the tribulations of life. Well, I’m sorry I can’t apply a “mother’s kiss” to your hurts. But what I can offer you is substantial—the Bible’s answers to these questions:
-
Why do pain and suffering exist?
-
What benefit can possibly come from my troubles?
-
What has God done to deal with the evil and pain in this world?
Senseless suffering is unbearable. Pain with a purpose, however, can be endured with courage. Look at the athlete who punishes his body to compete in the Olympics. Look at the mother who endures childbirth to bring a baby into the world. Look at the father toiling long, hard hours to support his family. Because their pain has a noble purpose, they are examples of courage, not senseless suffering.
Perhaps the trials that you face have left you frustrated, angry, or even bitter. May this booklet give you a new perspective of hope, determination, and joy as you play the game of life hurt.
|
|
