The Role of Tragedy
Posted in Misti's Posts, Why does God allow pain? 0 comments
God is merciful, just, great and mighty. He is omnipotent (all-knowing) and omnipresent (with us always). There is one thing, though, that God is not: He is not a safety bubble. Difficult times will come to many of God's faithful followers. I have often asked "Why?", and knowing what I know about my Lord, I have more often asked "When?". In my Bible reading this week, I received a hint of the answer to "Why?", and I wanted to share it with you.
In Romans 8, Paul writes about the suffering of the Christian, and how we are called to handle trials. He assures us that the Holy Spirit sends up our deepest hopes and fears on our behalf-ones that are too deep for us to have the words to express. He speaks of the strong hold God has on us; one that nothing can break. Then, in Romans 9, he humbles us to show us the way:
You are only a human being. Who do you think you are to talk back to God? Does the clay say to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?” Doesn’t the potter have the power over the clay to make one pot for special purposes and another for garbage from the same lump of clay? --vv.20-21
God has created us for a purpose, and He is the only one with the authority to define us. This truth applies to hard times we face. When tragedies happen in our lives, our role is not to question why, as hard as that may be. We are called to ask "How should I respond to this?". The answer to "Why?" is, in short, "for God's glory". When we respond to tragedies with peace and steadfast faith, that behavior becomes a powerful witness for God.
Perhaps this is not the answer we are looking for. Certainly, it's not the answer that solves all our problems. What's important is that it's the answer that helps us cope. We will still grieve, and feel sad, but we know that God will always be with us and will always give us what we need to conquer whatever is before us. All we have to do is trust Him.
In Romans 8, Paul writes about the suffering of the Christian, and how we are called to handle trials. He assures us that the Holy Spirit sends up our deepest hopes and fears on our behalf-ones that are too deep for us to have the words to express. He speaks of the strong hold God has on us; one that nothing can break. Then, in Romans 9, he humbles us to show us the way:
You are only a human being. Who do you think you are to talk back to God? Does the clay say to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?” Doesn’t the potter have the power over the clay to make one pot for special purposes and another for garbage from the same lump of clay? --vv.20-21
God has created us for a purpose, and He is the only one with the authority to define us. This truth applies to hard times we face. When tragedies happen in our lives, our role is not to question why, as hard as that may be. We are called to ask "How should I respond to this?". The answer to "Why?" is, in short, "for God's glory". When we respond to tragedies with peace and steadfast faith, that behavior becomes a powerful witness for God.
Perhaps this is not the answer we are looking for. Certainly, it's not the answer that solves all our problems. What's important is that it's the answer that helps us cope. We will still grieve, and feel sad, but we know that God will always be with us and will always give us what we need to conquer whatever is before us. All we have to do is trust Him.
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