Why?

Job 2:10 ESV

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

“No you can’t have a piece of candy.” “Why?” is the almost immediate response. “You need to get you jammies on and go brush your teeth.” “Why?” “Take the trash outside.” “Why?” seems to be the immediate response to every “no” my children hear, and every direction I give. I have noticed that when they receive an affirmative answer, they don’t tend to question my reasoning or intention at that point. When told to go pick a piece of candy, the response is never, “Why?” Nor is the response delayed in anyway, they jump quick and move fast!

Eventually all my children grow into and out of this, but it seems to be a stage that lingers with some more than others. Constantly having my intentions questioned has begun to wear. I don’t give responses every time anymore, sometimes ignoring the question altogether. My frustration is often most acute when I have big plans of blessing. Weather it be a ice cream sandwich in the park, a popsicle on the front porch, a motorcycle ride, or just a meal out, “clean up an put your shoes on”… followed by the ever present question of my motivation and intention simply crawls under my skin.

Unfortunately for me, this is not a question that I can limit to my children. It is the constant petition of those who do not like what God has done. I mention it this way because like my children I do not question God’s motive or intention when he choses to raise my salary, give me good health, or great neighbors, but the moment I lose my job, my health deteriorates, or my neighbors are destitute sinners, I question him. “Why God?” “Why did you make me this way?” “Why must I lose my mental faculties?” “Why did my daughter get cancer?” Then comes the deafening silence. Jumping quickly on this the same assumption my children make is made, there is no good reason.

Why did God make you and all things? What is the chief end of man? Why did God create us? These questions are placed in the beginning of many catechisms. (Catechism for Boys and Girls, Westminster Catechism, New City Catechism) The formulators of these catechisms recognize the necessity of determining the motivation and intention of our lives in understanding both what we should do and how we should act. I propose that the answer to these questions also articulates the answer to all those why question in the previous paragraph. “For his own glory.” “To glorify God and enjoy him forever.” “To know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him.”

To say I know how all those things are for his glory would be an overstatement. Yet we must learn the lesson of Job. When faced with the reality of who God is he could only say I was wrong to question. Just as my children must learn, so must I learn to trust. They don’t know why good things are being denied them at any particular moment (Isn’t candy always good?) or why hard things, like cleaning up, are being asked of them when they have been playing so well together. So to, I don’t like it when good things are being denied me and given to others, when hard things are asked of me, even though I have “been good”. Will I trust the Christ who died for me, the God who created me, the Spirit who intercedes for me, or not?

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO