Some Thoughts on Responding to Suffering (Job 4:7-8)

Job 4:7-8

 

7 “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished?

Or where were the upright cut off?

8 As I have seen, those who plow iniquity

and sow trouble reap the same.

 

            The words above are those of Eliphaz the Temanite, one of Job’s “friends” who came to “comfort” him during his time of distress. Immediately after Job spoke of his misery, his pain, his depressed desire to have never been born, Eliphaz offered Job a rebuke. Eliphaz just knew that Job was in the wrong, and he was going to straighten him out.

 

            In verses 7-8, we see Eliphaz respond to Job with the same teaching that is often connected with the prosperity gospel on the one hand and an over-developed sense of God’s punishment on the other. The logic goes something like this: God always blesses the faithful; you are not blessed; therefore you must not be faithful. The funny thing is, God declared in chapters 1 and 2 of Job that Job was indeed faithful. Job’s suffering had nothing to do with him failing God in any form.

 

            What’s the big problem? The problem in verses7-8 is a foolish view that the faithful people of God should not and will not suffer in the here and now. This has never been the message of Scripture. Yes, God made promises to Israel that, if they obeyed him as a nation under his special covenant, he would grant the nation great success and prosperity. However, that promise was not an all-inclusive, no-holds-barred, name-it-and-claim-it promise that no person who follows God will ever have a hard time. God has quite often seen fit to challenge his people with hardships in order to allow them to experience his faithful comfort, support, and provision as well as to prove their faith in him by something more than a good thought or simple lip-service.

 

            Christians, if you see someone, whether a godly or ungodly person, going through a hardship, please be wise. Do not ever assume that you know the reason why God allowed this to happen. You do not. Let me say that again: You do not! God is good. God’s purposes are perfect. And God’s reasons are his own. Why did God allow that sickness, that accident, that earthquake, that tornado, or that financial collapse? You don’t know. He is wiser than you. He is greater than you. And for you to tell another person, city, or nation that you know that the reason something happened is for you to communicate a false gospel, one of good behavior leading to perfect ease in this life.

 

            I’m not at all suggesting that you do not warn people of the consequences for sin or for foolish choices. If I choose to eat too much, I will be unhealthy—simple cause and effect. If I choose to spend more than I earn, I will have financial difficulties. But, if I get sick or am in an auto accident, you cannot faithfully argue that this is because my prayer life was not up-to-speed or because God is actively doing this or that in my life. Yes, God is sanctifying me, even through my hardship, but that is all you can know for sure. And, the only reason you know that for sure is because God has told us in Scripture that he is using all things worked together to conform me to the image of Christ (cf. Romans 8:28-30).

 

            I know that we often want to help a hurting person by telling them about what we know to be God’s intent. We want to make suffering make sense. But I’ve never seen it help. How about, instead of telling someone about what you believe is the reasoning behind something, just care. I’m not saying that there is no reason to bring Scripture to bear here. Of course you comfort people with the Word of God. Of course you may remind someone that God is good and in control. But, as I have heard John Piper teach, the hospital room is not the place to teach your people theology. If they do not have a solid theology of suffering put in place before the tragedy, you will not help them by trying to bring them a theology of suffering in the middle of the pain. Weep with those who weep. Express your sorrow for them that they are hurting. But, please, avoid a smug assertion that you know what God is up to. Love will go much farther than explanations in many cases.

 

            What about you? What has actually helped you when you experienced suffering? How would you want someone to respond to you in the midst of pain?