This past Sunday’s message was tough.  We’re working through a series called “If I Could Ask God One Question…” 

The scheduled question to explore was this.  "Where are you God when it hurts?"  As it were, the message came right on the heels of a suicide last Thursday of a man who was a Christ-follower in our community of believers.  A man whom many in our church had a relationship with and mourn and grieve at his passing.  We lift up his family and want to wrap our arms around them; to be the arms and hands of Jesus.  You can listen to the message here.

Where are you God when it hurts?  It’s a question most of us have wrestled with from time to time.  There’s this feeling that I’m not good enough for God to love anymore and he’s left me to my own devices.  It would seem that there are some key areas where God allows pain, hurt, suffering and discomfort in our life.

1.       We messed up, therefore we get what we deserve.  We reap what we sow.  A punitive measure.

2.       Someone else messed up; I experience the negative results of their poor choice.

3.       There is no obvious reason for my pain; it just came out of nowhere and has no specific source.

4.       I have pain and discomfort from God; to keep me dependent on Him.

Where are you God when it hurts?  God says, “I’m right here.  I haven’t gone anywhere.  I want you to allow me to work through this pain in your life.  Is it ok with you that I’m God and you’re not?  Is it ok that I know what’s going on even if you don’t?”

I’m drawn to the idea that most of us with a pulse want zero discomfort and pain in life.  We go to extreme measures to experience comfort and pain-free living.  When pain and discomfort do happen it rattles us; frustrates us; angers us; trips us; batters us; and bruises us.  What if we had the problem-free life most of us desire?  It would seem that if everything always went my way, I wouldn’t have any need for God.

At the same time, I think it’s possible that tough times in life can result in something productive.  Growth.  At the end of the day, I am convinced that God allows us to GO through tough times so that He can GROW us through those tough times.  We’re refined and come out on the other side transformed.  You might say we’re a stronger person.

But consider this for a moment.  Is our own strength the goal?  Is God just trying to toughen us all up?  Does He just want us to stop our whining and moaning and suck it up?  I don’t think so.

God can send us in to a storm.  (Matt. 14:24-33) He wants us to keep our eyes on His Son Jesus.  God wants us to invite Jesus into the boat of our life.  Sometimes Jesus invites us into the boat and we follow Him right into another storm. (Matt. 8:23:27)  We usually try doing our own thing to keep the boat from sinking.  The harder we try, the faster the boat fills up with water.  All while Jesus is right there seemingly doing nothing.  We miss the obvious.  Jesus wants us to allow Him to deal with the storm.  And He does.  And He will.

I’m also convinced that God wants us to be reliant on Him and not ourselves.  He desires a relationship with us.  He desires community with us.  He desires to love us; to comfort us; to protect us; to heal us; to deliver us from our messes.  I think God wants to show Himself in the midst of our messy lives.

God gave a Christ-follower named Paul an ailment or “thorn in his flesh” to keep him humble.  (II Cor. 12) Paul was tempted to find strength in Paul.  God wanted Paul to find his strength in God.  Paul decided that he wanted to be known as “weak” because his weakness revealed his reliance on God.  That’s pretty huge.

Where are you God when it hurts?  God tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10.  He’s God and I’m not.  I’m cool with that; even when it hurts.  If I can grab on to that, I don’t have to wonder what He’s up to or where He’s at!  I’m going to try being more “weak” so that God’s “strength” is revealed in me and through me.  It’s not about me.  It’s all about Him.