When we make unwise decisions and it doesn’t go our way, we may find ourselves blaming God for our suffering. (Pr 19:3) It’s as if we think God is obligated to serve us and arrange His universe for our convenience. We may resent the fact that He allows us to experience the consequences of our own foolishness.
But God doesn’t cause us to make unwise choices; we make them on our own. He isn’t responsible for them; we are.
In fact, God tells us to expect this. He even has a Law about it — the Law of Sowing and Reaping (Ga 6:7-8): we reap what we sow; we reap more than we sow, and we reap later than we sow. God is not unjust in this; it’s how all reality is designed.
Even when others make foolish choices which impact us, God isn’t responsible for these either. God is not obligated to protect us from the harm others would cause us, any more than He’s obligated to protect us from ourselves. God really doesn’t owe us anything. We have no right to be resentful in our suffering, to murmur against God. (1Co 10:10)
It’s actually an incredible mercy that God intervenes in our calamity at all (Ps 103:11), watching over us and protecting us in all the chaos of this broken world. (La 3:22) He does this frequently, more than we can ever really know. (Ps 103:4) Even so, we ought not to demand or expect it; we should be very grateful for His lovingkindness and protection. (Ps 107:21)
God’s promise to work everything out for out for good to those who love Him, for those whom He’s called according to His purpose (Ro 8:28), is so undeserved! His infinite benevolence should fill us with joy and hope regardless what He allows. We should give Him thanks in (1Th 5:18) and for all things (Ep 5:20), for He has a glorious purpose in it all. (Ep 1:11)
Living as if God is supremely victorious in every circumstance of life is how we glorify Him in this world. It’s all about Him, not about us. (Ro 11:36)
Tim,
Amen! Timely.
stephen