Peace and Suffering

 

“King David sure had a hard life,” Otto said to me.  “I was just reading in I Samuel and Saul seemed as though he was out to get him.”

“It is kind of odd,” I agreed.  “If Saul had simply let David command his armies, he would have had all kinds of success and Saul’s end would have been different.”

“It makes you wonder why God lets things happen the way He does,” Otto said.  “Surely He could have brought David to the throne faster without all of the suffering on the way.”

“Maybe so,” I said.  “But maybe David was the king he was because of the suffering he had experienced before he reached the throne.”

“It hardly makes sense,” Otto continued. 

“I guess I go on the idea that King Saul had choices – God allowed him to choose well or poorly and unfortunately, the decisions he made affected not only himself, but also his family, David, and lots of other folks – after all, he was king.  God didn’t make David suffer, but He was able to use that suffering to build his character into a man after God’s own heart.”

It seems as though one of the biggest arguments that people make who don’t believe in God is the argument about suffering.  If there is a good God who rules over all and is in control of all, why should people suffer?

The answer, simply, is that this is a broken world.  It is a world in which bacteria cause disease and in which a coronavirus can cause millions of deaths.  It is a world in which dictators can wage genocide, even as they launch attacks on neighboring nations.  It is a world full to the brim with abuse and hunger and disease.

None of that is God’s plan nor does He instigate it.  He has promised His people that He will stand with them in these moments of suffering.  Before His own suffering on the cross, Jesus told His followers, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

It is such a blessing that we can have peace, even in a world that is full of trials and sorrows.  Perhaps the best example of this was the Apostle Paul who told the Philippians that if he was executed he would go to be with Jesus, whereas if he was freed, he could continue his ministry.  “I’m a winner either way!”  He told the church at Philippi – and he believed it.

I don’t have Paul’s faith, at least not all of the time, but I know that I can have peace because the Savior I serve has overcome the world.

Shut Up!?

 

"You know," I said to the denizens sitting around the supper table.  "I think I should write a book in which the main character has a crazy wife who he has shut up in a separate wing of his manor house.  I think that would be a grand idea for a story!"

"Too bad someone already came up with that idea, Dear," my wife said, sweetly.  

"Really?"  I asked.  "I'm always a bit too late on my wonderful ideas..."

It was at this point, our six-year-old entered the conversation.  "DAD!"  She said.  "You need to think twice before you speak once!  You said a Bad Word and that isn't good."

I attempted to review everything I had said.  I'm not prone to saying bad words or profanities -- not even wooden swearing -- and I certainly didn't think I had done so recently.

"Dad didn't say a bad word, Elise," my wife said.  

"He did too," Elise said firmly.

"What did he say?"  Elaine asked.

"He said, 'shut up' and that's a bad word!  He shouldn't say things like that."  Elise said.

"I don't think he said, 'shut up,'" Elaine said dubiously.

I began to laugh.  "I did say 'shut up.'  I said that the main character has a crazy wife shut up in his house."

At this, we attempted to explain that there are two ways to use the phrase, "Shut up!" one of which is bad and the other is not a problem.

I am glad that our children learn from an early age not to say bad words.  There are an awful lot of folks in this world who never learn this lesson and those around them are the worse for their interactions with them due to their inability to control their tongues.

"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." (Proverbs 18:21) Sticks and stones may break bones, but words can wound much deeper, leaving scars on the soul.  If we only learned this simple lesson the world would be a better place.

The tongue really does have the power of life and death.  For those who have not learned to use it wisely, it would be better to shut it up in a separate wing of a manor house to cause the people around them to suffer.