September 18, 2022

Maybe not what you'd expect to hear from a religious source that tries to explain the reasons for everything. Sometimes there just aren't answers. Sh** happens. Sometimes there is a reason (see other options below). But other times, people are in a cosmic push and pull, in the wrong place at the wrong time, victims of circumstance. 

If you read this whole article and come back to this "REASON #1" and conclude, shoot - that seems to be where I'm at right now. What comfort then is there in faith?

If you are a follower of Jesus, LOTS. First, cling to promises of sustaining grace. God promises to be present with you. "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) The entire beginning of the Jewish (passed down to Christians) faith story is about a people group who is oppressed and then lost. Still, God goes with them and provides what they need for each moment. Are you freaking out right now? In survival mode? That's exactly what our faith story is about. The promise is that, even so, God is with you. It may not all make sense now. You may not have what you need for next year, but God can and will give you what you need for each step of the journey.

Another promise is that Jesus understands. Jesus prayed his guts out the night that he was arrested and he was still arrested and executed within 24 hours. I think that right there is one of the most powerful truths of the whole Christian faith. For someone who had enough power to change the outcome, Jesus still joined us as a weak human and subjected himself to this cosmic push and pull. He is the suffering Savior. And the even more profound reason this innocent man  did that was so that he could tell each of us, "I understand." And he does. Jesus also promises his presence. The very last verse of the book of Matthew are Jesus's last words, "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

The last promise I personally cling to is the promise of a future rest. "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God." (Hebrew 4:9) This isn't all there is. There is a day coming with "no death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21). That's an order of things that will pass away and give way to a new order where God reigns completely. Some may think that is a fairy-tale, made up religious carrot on the end of a stick-type-thing. But I choose to believe it. Partly because I get little glimpses of rest and tastes of it. And those excited me. And if bad stuff is going to happen one way or the other, I choose to look forward to that final rest. 

Still, there may be another, more intellectually satisfying reason behind your current suffering.

REASON #2: You are in a test.

This reason doesn't make God sound very nice. If this doesn't seem to fit your situation, it may not. Maybe for you, it's just plain old REASON #1 (see above). Still, it's worth mentioning, because many people of faith have experienced bad things as tests. The Jewish understanding of a test is not pass/fail or a sadistic punishment. It is more like a diagnostic tool, a "show where you're at" type of test. What is in your heart? What will you choose? Will you finally choose God this time?  Is your heart fully surrendered to trust in God?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2

What happens when we turn to God during a trial, rely on God's strength, ask God for help, answers, courage, peace, provision? In other words, when we show faith during a test? God gives us what we need and it strengthens our faith even more. Faith is precious, "more precious than gold," and we need it to get by! The more of it we have, the better we are able to successfully navigate the cluster-mess of life. God knows this, and maybe God wants to give us more faith.

"[You] are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:5-7

REASON #3: You are experiencing the consequences of your own actions.

This is the reason lots of people immediately jump to. I've heard people on several occasions cry out in moments of exasperation, "What did I do so wrong? God must be punishing me for something!" It's almost as if they want the other person to say, "No, not you. You never do anything wrong. You're such a good person. What a big, mean, nasty God to punish you like this." If you are ever tempted to resort to the ever-popular "God must be punishing me!" first remember: Not every bad thing that happens to you is a result of your own poor choices (see every other REASON on this page). I would venture to guess that MOST of the time, that's probably not the case. Especially if you are self-aware enough to know that you haven't intentionally spit in God's face with your recent choices. 

Still, sometimes our own poor choices DO cause us grief. "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow." (Galatians 6:7) This is an agricultural metaphor. Basically, you will harvest what you plant. If you are motivated by selfishness, greed, lust for power/personal pleasure at the expense of others, you are sowing or planting for destruction. Part of the consequences will be your own, in the form of loneliness, dysfunction, controversy, ruin. We all knew from the first episode of the first season how Breaking Bad would end for Walt. If you are motivated by love for God and others, goodness, kindness, you are sowing or planting for restoration. Part of the consequences will be your own, in the form of peace. This is a general, overarching principle. Since we are the closest to the things we ourselves are doing, the ripples are pretty big for us. Even if not right away. The author of Hebrews talks about God as a parent trying to lovingly correct a child (Hebrews 12). I don't discipline my children because I'm on a mean and nasty power trip. I know that the reason I discipline children is in an attempt to save them from future, worse pain. Time-outs and loss of privileges can feel like torture, but I'm hoping they are learning lessons that will make their lives better and save them future heartache. 

This could be an invitation for soul-searching for you. If you think your current suffering could be partially due to consequences of your own wrongdoing, it doesn't hurt to ask God to show you if there is something in your life that goes against God's way of peace and righteousness. Tell God you cannot confess something you aren't aware of, so invite God's Spirit to take inventory with you of thoughts, words, actions, attitudes, intentions. God doesn't trick you. If you honestly seek to know what needs to change, God will show you. Sometimes it helps to invite a trusted spiritual mentor to help you take inventory. Once you know (or maybe you've already known for a long time), get cleansed and forgiven! The gospel of Jesus has a solution for guilt: "If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) 

Forgiveness and cleansing are beautiful experiences of growth. "Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." (Psalm 32:1)

REASON #4: You are allowing someone to hurt you.

This reason has to do with boundaries. Believe it or not, there are people out there who intend to use you, exploit you, deceive you, or hurt you. Not everyone has your best interest at heart all the time. This is an especially painful truth when these are people we expect to love us and do good to us, close friends or family. Still, part of a mature Christian life involves learning to set healthy boundaries that protect and care for ourselves without harming others. Jesus instructs disciples when he sends them out on their own, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16) Jesus does not tell his followers to go out and harm people, but to be smart. Recognize when someone is out to get you. Set healthy boundaries that limit the amount of harm they can do to you.

REASON #5: You are being persecuted because you are doing good.

Sometimes because of the very fact that you have chosen to follow Jesus, participate with God's plan of peace, healing, and righteousness, others will target you. This tends to be another popular reason people (particularly super religious people) claim to explain their own suffering. It is also known as spiritual warfare. That there are evil forces and good forces fighting, and the evil forces are trying to stop us from doing good. Jesus tells his followers, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12) Even in the history we read shortly after Jesus lived on earth, followers of Christ were targeted and killed for sport. Just because they belonged to The Way, which was the name of the movement of love and doing good that Jesus began. That sort of retaliation against love and truth still happens. Luckily, there is a lot for the Christ follower to discover to help withstand the onslaught of persecution that evil forces may intend. Read Ephesians 6 for tools to combat spiritual warfare.

I invite you to explore each one of these reasons when you are facing difficult times and see what fits. Talk to God. Talk to others whom you trust. There may be more reasons than this. All of scripture seems to have so many ideas about suffering and resources for how to navigate through it. There is a lot of hope and power in honestly discerning the reason for your suffering. There is also a lot of damage that can be done in misdiagnosing the reason for your suffering. What if, for example, I am guilty of wrongdoing, but I claim that I am being persecuted for doing good? I play the martyr, but really I just need to confess and change my ways. Or, what if I'm allowing others to hurt me, but I take all the blame and punish myself for wrongdoing? I'm just further spiraling into unhealthy co-dependency. The beauty of a faith journey is discovering with God what's going on in your life. And trusting God to give you the wisdom and tools you need to overcome it. And maybe, at the end of the day, you can't make heads or tails of it. Because there really isn't a reason for everything. And not everything is fair yet. Even in uncertainty and unknowing, God won't leave you to face your trials alone.

-Amie