“God, why am I going through this incredibly difficult time while those who don’t love you are living the good life?”

Has some version of that thought ever crossed your mind, or some version of those words ever crossed your lips? The truth is, God is good . . . but we’re not exempt. We’re not exempt from the trials and tribulations inherent in a fallen world.

In today’s pod, John and Jim unpack a pathway to weather those seasons when life doesn’t make sense.

Show Notes

Psalm 73 tells the story of Asaph; a psalm writer, a leader, and lover of God. In Psalm 73, Asaph revealed a faith crisis he experienced. It’s not uncommon for those of us to lead to experience a season of doubt – John the Baptist.

Asaph’s crisis can be boiled down to one question: “God, why am I going through this incredibly difficult time while those who don’t love you are living the good life?”

God is good . . . but we’re not exempt.

How do we weather those seasons when life doesn’t make sense?

1. Don’t wrestle with your faith in front of everybody

He wrote in Psalm 73: “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed Your children.” Asaph was wise enough not to share his faith struggle with everyone . . . not until he had successfully worked his way through it. Keep your faith struggle between you, God, and a few close brothers/sisters in Christ

2. Gather with fellow believers to worship

Again in Psalm 73 Asaph wrote: “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me, until I entered the sanctuary of God.”

Here’s a question I want to pose to you Jim: How can a pastor apply this second behavior?

Final Thought: If we’re serious about deepening our faith, and leading well for the long haul, we have to get more comfortable with ambiguity. When it looks like people who reject God are the living the good life, remind yourself that everybody has pain in their life that you probably don’t know about.