I am a "Miserable Comforter"

After 3 years of “read through the Bible in a year” plans, I decided to do the Chronological Plan for 2013.  I was a little surprised when the plan sent me to the book of Job right after Noah left the Ark!  For the past week I have been reading the bad council of Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz to the suffering Job.  “Surely you are being punished for your wickedness!” they continue to declare to him while Job insists on his innocence.

Each day after reading the accusations of Job’s visitors, I am left with a sense of thankfulness.  Above all, I’m thankful that although I am as sinful as they are describing, God does not treat me as my sins deserve due to the finished work of Christ.  But if I am honest with myself, I am thankful that I would never say such things to a suffering person.  As I type this, it smacks with more of a Pharisaical hypocrite than it normally does in my head (Lord, I thank you that I am not like this tax collector…), but God in His mercy has orchestrated all of this to teach me something new.

There are suffering people around me.  It seems like more than normal.  I don’t know if this is because I am paying better attention or if it is really the case.  As I am patting myself on the back that I would not be so insensitive and wrong as Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz, God has shown me that I am just like them.  I just speak a different language of insensitivity.  Rather than accuse the suffering of being wicked, I accuse them in my mind of other REASONS why they find themselves in their current situation.  Your health is poor because you have not lost weight/ exercised/ gone to the doctor.  Your relationships are bad because you are selfish/ demanding/ no fun/ a bad listener.  Your illness is due to cellular malfunction (I could explain it to you)/ bad luck (let me tell you about mutations).  Surely this isn’t as bad as Job’s miserable comforters, right?   Because what I am saying in my head is really true, right?

But why is my mind going there?  I have been convicted today that all of these reasons in my mind are there so I can check off that I am NOT like that.  I am in good health because I have exercised and gone to the doctor.  I am not selfish or demanding.  And because I BELIEVE this about myself, I am saying that I am in control of my health, relationships, and whatever else you would like to include.   I think that is what Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz are trying to convince themselves – “we are seeking to follow the Lord and so we are safe from suffering like yours, Job.”    Put in my current language – “I am doing what modern medicine says in healthy for me, so I am safe from serious disease and early death.”  Or “I am kind and level-headed in my conversations with others, so my relationships should be good.  No one could think poorly of my work, intellect or dealings with others.”

Just like Job’s suffering was not tied to the reasons presented by his miserable comforters (which we see at the beginning and end of the book, but Job never learns), it is very likely that the suffering of those around you and me is about much more than science, medicine or relationship help instructions.  God is up to something in his world and people.  We try to shrink what we observe down to where it is small and easy to understand.  His ways are not our ways.  He is always about moving all of creation toward its final destination where His glory and goodness are fully known.  

So I am thankful – for his free gift of salvation that promises me his goodness and grace.  But also that I am reminded that this world is not just about what the physical world can explain.  That he is weaving together ALL of redemptive history into a beautiful masterpiece that this world and its circumstances cannot even comprehend. 

I am a miserable comforter, but I am loved, I am washed, I am redeemed for His glorious purposes.

Life Lessons from Bowl Season

The past 2 years have brought an entirely different perspective on bowls.  As a University of Tennessee fan, there was always 1 bowl that I cared about.  Since we have not been bowl eligible, I have observed other teams and fans in a different light.  A lot of this observation has wrought great irritation in me.  Today, it occurred to me all of the life lessons my children and students could learn from this year’s Bowl Season.

Before I begin, I’ll give my disclaimer:  I am not a football expert.  I am not declaring my view correct in all areas.  So don’t take it personally if you resemble any of my examples below.

 

1. You are not too good for your opponent or your bowl game

I can think of 3 games that I watched this bowl season where some version of the above appeared obvious.  In all 3 cases, the team with this attitude lost the game.  Life is no different – when you have an opportunity in your life, you should take full advantage and work at it with your whole heart.  Any other action is squandering your gifts, talents, and opportunities.

2.  Talent does not win ball games.

The commentators in some games had the audacity to say that all a team had to do was show up and they would win.  They were shown to be very wrong in most cases.  Talent opens doors and gives you opportunity.  But hard work and perseverance are much better indicators of actual success on the field (and in life).

3.  Disrespect is always ugly

Whether it is announcers (see #2), coaches, players or fans, people are made in the image of God and should be treated with respect.  I do not care if you made a good tackle, threw a great pass, or your team just won – this always applies. 

4.  Rankings may not be fair, but it’s the best we can do now – get over it!

Any time someone brings up the word “fair”, it gets under my skin.  Life is not fair and it never will be.  The sooner a person understands this reality, the better off they will be.  I don’t mean to say that we should always accept this state.  Much of the time (in life, especially) we should work to rectify wrongs.  But even then, we will never be able to make things truly fair. 

I may later go into the ultimate of example of things not being fair that we benefit from, but this is not the time or place. 

5.  Basing your fanhood and life’s happiness of the performance of 18 to 22 year olds (pre-adults) is not fair to the players and makes you look ridiculous.

Its easy to forget that the players you see on TV are basically kids.  Would you have wanted nasty emails and public ridicule for the mistakes you made at this age?  Most of us are lucky enough that those mistakes were private or at least seen by only a few people.  Imagine having your mistake viewed by 80,000 people live and then re-lived on ESPN for the next week (or more).  No wonder so many of these kids turn to unhealthy and destructive behaviors.

 

Finally, one other item really struck me today.  I am constantly trying to protect my 2 oldest kids from the evils of social media.  I believe their home should be a place of rest and refuge.  Much of the time, social media can rob them of this.  In one extreme case, my daughter needed to completely close her account and take a break from social media for several months.  Usually I can look at the various views presented in these forums and move on.  But some comments in my News Feed have raised my blood pressure, given me gray hairs, and encouraged me to throw my computer through a window.  I have allowed social media to rob ME of a place of rest and refuge.   I need to take my own advice and remove those ‘friends’ who regularly have this effect.  There may be a time where I find that I need to completely remove myself from social media, and I need to be willing to do that if it is the best thing.