Lessons from the Book of JOB

Image: WSL

Often times when you’re following Christ and putting him first in your life you can feel like things are constantly going your way. And the danger is, you could begin to think that serving God is about living your best life. That when you serve God, everything you touches turns to gold. But unfortunately, (or fortunately) that’s not what the book of Job is about. Job was a man who strived to put God first. God described Job as ‘the finest man in all the earth. Blameless. a man of complete integrity.’

Regardless of Job’s integrity, he lost absolutely everything he owned. Sons, daughters, all his wealth, his friends gathered around him to mourn and then proceeded to accuse him of sin he didn't commit and if that wasn't enough, Job’s wife turned her back on him saying: “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job’s experience was the equivalent of being kicked in the teeth when you’re down and out. It’s the worst possible tragedy that could beset a living man.

When things aren’t going well, when your car blows up, your business fails, when people dislike you for no reason it doesn’t (necessarily) mean you've sinned. Things can and do go wrong for those who strive to put God first. Righteousness doesn’t ensure a life sans tragedy.

Jesus dispelled this sin = tragedy notion in the Gospel of John. John 9: As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

When tragedy & difficult times strike, what works of God are being displayed in your life.