If I'm Suffering, Is God Punishing Me?预览

Is God Punishing Me?

Author and pastor Mark Roberts writes how a  young man named Don came to see him for pastoral counseling. As Don shared his story, Mark could sense that he was deeply distressed. As his tale unfolded, Mark could understand why. “I was fired from my dream job,” Don said. “My fiancée broke off our engagement. And my friends don’t want to have anything to do with me. Why is God punishing me?”

Many of us have felt just like Don at one time or another. When our lives are coming apart, when we’re enduring suffering, we cry out, “Why is God doing this to me? Why is God punishing me?”


If we look to Scripture, Lamentations 1:1-7 offers one answer. There are times when God does cause his people grief because of their wrong acts. As Hebrews also affirms, God disciplines us so we can become more like him (Heb. 12:7-11). So, it’s possible that our suffering is the Lord’s way of helping us to grow in holiness.


As Mark Roberts asked more questions about why Don had lost his job, his fiancée, and his friends all at once, the picture became more clear. Don's own bad choices at work (where his fiancée was a colleague) had led to her dumping him, his boss firing him, and his friends, most of whom were coworkers, avoiding him. Don was attempting to blame God for his suffering, because he didn’t want to confront his own failure.

But the Bible cites many other causes for suffering. Don't automatically assume that God is punishing you. For the next three days, we’ll explore some reasons that God allows suffering. We pray that this plan will help you walk by faith in the living God, whose faithfulness will not fail.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that you hear my cry in times of pain and lament. Although I don’t always know why I am suffering, I trust that you will be faithful to me. Help me discern where I need to grow in holiness, wholeness, and self-discipline. Amen.