Momentum For Monday, February 3rd 2025

“He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”’ (Job 1:21)

One of the most biggest things that trips people up when it comes to not believing in God is suffering. C.S. Lewis called it "the problem of pain." The usual argument is, if God is good, then how can _________ happen?

Now, this is a legitimate question. It is common, understandable, and relatable. From ancient times, the common assumption was that good people should be blessed while wicked people should be cursed (otherwise known as the retribution principle). It's like our minds are factory set to this assertion. However, this isn't how God works.

Simply put, good and bad happen to everyone. God is not responsible for the evil that people choose to do. Sin from Eden opened the door for dysfunction to the entire world. It has ransacked the world ever since. One of the best examples of this in Scripture is the book of Job. He lost everything. And he even endured physical suffering. He is a perfect example of how someone suffers faithfully while relating to God and others. 

The difference in pain is not who it happens to, but instead how they endure it. Suffering will always have some element of mystery, but having God as a resource is a crucial factor. For many, death is the ultimate fear and the worst of life, but with God, it is never a believer's finality. So, it's not whether you will experience pain and suffering, but can you endure it well?

“In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too.”

(Matthew 5:45)