Why Not You?
All toddlers go through a phase in which one of their favorite words is “Why?” They yearn to understand and make sense of the world around them. As the awareness of their surroundings increases, so does their natural curiosity. Interestingly enough, we never seem to fully outgrow this stage. Even as adults, we have the insatiable desire to know the answers to the “Why’s” in life; especially when we are facing difficult circumstances. Life is full of tough questions. We want to know why a death occurred, why heartache took place, or why we are facing financial hardship. "Why God? Why ME??" We wonder. I know this because, like 100% of the population, I’ve been there. And after several months of questioning, I finally did receive (by the grace of God) a response to my question. But it wasn’t quite what I expected. What I was wanting was a nice, comforting answer. Like a toddler with a scraped knee, I was hoping God would just “kiss it and make it all better.” That’s not what he did though. No, instead, he answered my question with a question and asked, Why not you?”
Why Not You?
We can spend so much time demanding an answer from God that we lose sight of the bigger picture. In that moment, God was saying, “Why wouldn’t I allow a spirit-filled, God-fearing believer to go through hardship? How else would they have a testimony?” You see, you can’t have a testimony without a test. You can’t experience victory without a struggle. You can’t fully appreciate your life of freedom if you’ve never been in bondage. In order to grow in reliance and trust in God, and in order to be used as His vessel in the lives of others, you have to have a story that gives Him the glory! And while it sometimes feels like you can’t get through the chapters fast enough, you can rest assured that, as God’s child, your story ends well!
You’re Not the Only One
There are plenty of bible characters that questioned God in the face of adversity. When Job, a blameless man, lost everything and everyone in his life, he questioned God. He even questioned why he was ever born and why he was being kept alive because of the unbearable suffering he endured. When feeling neglected during hardship, David, the man after God’s own heart, asked His Lord, “Why do you hide in times of trouble?” And when God asked Abraham to sacrifice His only son, Abraham responded with, “Why, Lord? I waited so long for my boy and now you want me to sacrifice him?”
These were all valid questions, but remember, God always had a plan! He is an expert at redeeming and restoring! In the end, Job was restored with a double portion of all he had lost. King David’s reputation and lineage were redeemed after making some very poor decisions. And Abraham was provided with a ram in a bush to take the place of his son. Their walk with God was strengthened as they testified to His faithfulness, which in turn, strengthened the faith of others. So, the next time you’re perplexed with a “Why?” question in life, try to gain perspective of the process you've being entrusted with…and ask yourself, "Why not?”
MOVE. MEASURE. MARCH.
March On!
Letty Roy
