"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." (Job 1:20-22) How are Christians supposed to respond to suffering in their lives? This is a question that has been asked since the beginning of the church. Prior to the church, people attempted to answer a different question, "Why do people suffer and why does a loving God allow suffering?" The assumption has often been people suffer because of sin in their life. This assumption follows a principle found in Scripture called the 'Retribution Principle.' According to this principle, God punishes the wicked and blesses the righteous. The problem we face is life does not always follow this principle. Of course, in the end, this will be seen clearly at the judgment. However, in the case of Job, the opposite of this principle is at work. Since suffering occurs in everyone's life and it is not always a result of sin in the person's life, how should Christians respond? First, grieve (Job 1:20). Job tore his robe, and shaved his head. These were actions of grief during the age of the Patriarchs. Grieving is a normal response to suffering. There is nothing sinful about it, in fact it is therapeutic releasing emotions that if retained will cause bitterness and anger that can change the entire course of ones life. Second, realize God is sovereign, just, and does not owe us an explanation as to why something bad occurs in our lives. His purposes our higher than our own. Third, worship God. Our worship demonstrates we recognize God's right to do anything with our life He desires. We were bought with a price and no longer belong to ourselves but to Him. Worship also throws dirt in the face of the adversary who hopes to cause us to curse God rather than worship Him. Fourth, realize that in every trial there is a lesson and a blessing. Through all his suffering, Job learned more about the will and purposes of God and following his trial was blessed beyond his previous circumstances. How do you respond when something bad happens? Does your faith falter and your nerves begin to crack? Trust God in every circumstance. His ways are not our ways, but they are High-ways to holiness.
