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Centuries of history have taught us that human beings are tribal by nature. Of course, most of us don’t need a history book to tell us that. We’ve spent much of our life trying to get in, fit in, and stay in the tribe of our preference.
If you want a reminder, think about your high school daze and how desperately you wanted to be identified with a particular group. I remember the options when I was in school:
God intended our lives to be journeys into the unknown. Like Abraham, we are called out of the life we have known to a life we could never have dreamed existed. And I’m not talking about heaven or the afterlife. I’m talking about here and now. And even folks who don’t believe in an afterlife, at least believe in an “after now.”
All of us need something to look forward to, even if it’s just tomorrow. When we have nothing to look forward to, we end up in despair (a word that means “without hope”). We need hope like we need the air we breathe. Hope pulls us into the future, and when we realize how incredibly uncertain the future is, we can see why hope is so valuable. Yet, as essential as hope is for life, we live in a world that is constantly trying to rob us of it. Because of this, hope has become a rare commodity in our culture.
When tragedy strikes, one of the most frequently asked questions is, “What kind of God would let something like this happen?” We read in the Bible that God is both good and all-powerful, but we also see evil running rampant in the world. Why doesn’t God do something to stop it? If He’s good, wouldn’t He want to end the hurt and heartbreak? If He’s all-powerful, wouldn’t He be able to? But He doesn’t. Why not?
One of the best places to find an answer to that question is in the life experiences of Job, but you may not like the answer you find there. Job’s God is not safe, and many find His solution unacceptable.
The story opens with a conversation between God and Satan. When God asks the devil if he knows His servant Job, Satan says the only reason Job is doing well is because God protects him. God’s response is to give the devil permission to hurt Job and his family. Satan wastes no time. He takes Job’s children, his wealth, and his health. Then the devil uses Job’s wife and friends to discourage him.
Jesus talked about discipleship a lot, yet few Christians understand what it is. We’ve heard about the “cost of discipleship” paid by the martyrs and saints of antiquity, and it’s easy to view discipleship as graduate level studies for those who are serious about their faith. Jesus had a different perspective. He understood discipleship to be Christianity 101–the basic lifestyle of his followers. And Jesus saw it as a life of blessings, not burdens. He once told a crowd, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
