The Devil & God are Raging Inside Me

Yes that’s the title of a Brand New album, but it’s also quite fitting for this feeling so sudden and new in my life and heart. Two things happened (almost) simultaneously this past weekend. First, I received a call from my mom at 11:36 p.m. on Saturday night telling me that my aunt had been life-lined to the hospital after suffering a massive stroke. Second, was the Sunday morning service at my church entitled Real Talk that highlighted just how much God isn’t a little kid with a magnifying glass attempting to singe his ant people.

At first this struck me as an interesting coincidence. Then I was reminded of something I used to say years ago: Coincidence is just a weird quirk of God’s creative nature. 

My first thought when I heard about my beloved aunt was that this wasn’t fair. My family has suffered enough in the last 12 months, we don’t need another devastating blow. I wanted to rage at God for his injustice! My aunt didn’t deserve this! She is a good, God-fearing woman!

Then I attended Sunday morning’s service and was humbled not only by God awesomeness, but also by His timing.

Our pastor spoke from John 9:1-3. It’s a simple passage that says this:

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

The point of the message was the God doesn’t punish his followers for trying, nor does he abuse his people for their efforts that went badly. (Though this wasn’t part of the message, this was the question this message answered for me… Why do bad things happen to good people?) The answer: so “that the works of God might be displayed.”

This message was exactly what I needed to hear on Sunday. I needed reminded that God doesn’t punish people because they “screw up.” Just because this happened to my aunt doesn’t mean that she had done something to deserve it. My pastor had no idea that he was saying exactly what I needed to hear that day. God is funny (Or AWESOME) like that!

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