This week’s devotions are based on the Week 3 “Explore God” – Why does God allow pain and suffering? (WATCH HERE)
Who gets the blame for suffering?
When we go through times of pain or suffering, it is natural to try to find someone or something to blame. It is really hard for us to accept that there may be something I did that resulted in a period of suffering.
So we blame God. He seems to be the natural one to blame.
But why?
We feel he could have prevented it. We feel guilt and feel like God is out to punish us and make life miserable. We feel it isn’t fair and we don’t deserve it.
So we blame God.
But we shouldn’t…at least not every time.
Here’s the reality. Suffering most often is caused by a direct or indirect result of sin. Suffering wasn’t part of God’s original creation because sin wasn’t part of God’s creation. Until it was. In Genesis 3, Satan tempted Adam and Eve with an offer they couldn’t resist. “You will be like God.”
Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
All of a sudden sin entered the world, guilt entered the world…and blame entered the world.
Genesis 3:12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Neither of them wanted to take responsibility for the sinful action, so they blamed Satan (another popular choice) and they blamed God. They didn’t accept the responsibility for breaking the command God gave. As a result? Pain and suffering. (Read the rest of Genesis 3)
The legacy of Adam and Eve continues today. When we suffer because we sin, we have a hard time taking responsibility. Our culture today excuses the sinner and makes the victim of sin wrong. Attorneys find the loophole to get a criminal off the hook. We make excuses, justify, and dismiss our errors (even though we are quick to point out others). The result? I can never suffer because I have sinned, because I have a hard time admitting I have sinned. But suffering can come because of sin. One gets drunk, gets caught and loses their job while they are in jail. Suffering because of sin. One neglects their spouse, abuses them, or abandons them and they go through an ugly divorce. Suffering because of sin. One cheats on their test and they fail an important class and are not allowed to graduate. Suffering because of sin.
This isn’t God’s fault. Only in the sense that he allows suffering to discipline those he loves. Should we accept suffering as a blessing, it will bring us back to God. If we make excuses for our actions, it will lead us to blame God.
We can also suffer indirectly because of sin in the world. Someone breaks into our home and we lose material possessions we have spent years saving to have…suffering because of sin. We are maimed by a shooter randomly shooting into a crowd…suffering indirectly because of sin. We are made to redo a test because someone cheated and no one fessed up…suffering indirectly because of sin.
While we do not have to accept specific responsibility, it leads us to realize we live in a broken world that is affected directly and indirectly because of sin. Fortunately, God, like he did with Adam and Eve, didn’t leave them with their sin, but rather promised a solution to their sin.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
The blessing is when we realize God isn’t to blame for suffering, or if he is allowing it to draw us back to himself, we can see God not as the cause for sin and suffering, but the solution for it.
Apply: When was the last time you blamed God for suffering? Was it fair to do so? What did you realize about the season of suffering that perhaps God used to bring you closer to him?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love that you are willing to provide the solution to suffering. AMEN.