If there ever was a person who had the right to ask, “Why me?” it was Joan Brock. As a young wife and mother, Joan went completely blind in a span of just 3 short weeks. If that wasn’t hard enough, 5 years later, her husband died of a rare form of cancer.
As Joan began to speak publicly about her story, many people asked her if she ever asked, “Why me?” Again, a part of me wouldn’t blame her if she did. Joan, however, chose to ask a different question: “Why not me?” She realized that she was no better than anyone else and not immune to experiencing tragedy and heartache.
What Joan Brock came to realize is the same thing Job struggled to see in the midst of losing family members and his good health. Throughout most of his Old Testament book, Job’s stance was that he was “innocent” (Job 34:5). To be sure, Job wasn’t suffering because of personal sin as his three friends insisted (Job 32:1). He wasn’t a wicked man, but he also wasn’t perfect. The trouble is, he seemed to think he was good enough to be exempt from tragedy. He felt that God was the One to be blamed (Job 19:6-7; 27:2).
Job maintained his innocence, until God revealed Himself in a way that exposed his pride. In the end, he was humbled and began to see himself, his losses, and his God in a whole new light (Job 42:1-6).
Job went through a level of pain and loss that most people will never experience. His struggles, however, are a lesson to us all. When it comes to facing hardship in life, none of us gets a free pass. The question we need to ask is, “Why not me?”
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: John 8:21-59
More:
Sometimes it’s not prideful to ask, “Why me?” as Jesus did on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Why is this different?
Next:
How have you been prideful in loss? What have you learned from Job’s example?
lindagma on July 30, 2011 at 6:30 am
As many times as I’ve heard messages on Job, I’ve never heard anyone expound on Job’s pride…what a revelation. None of us are exempt from at least a little bit of that…even people who put themselves down are obsessed with self.
Good insight Jeff.
alli on July 30, 2011 at 11:52 pm
i asked this question of a friend today! i said why me? I mean of all the ppl to stick with THIS problem why me? why not give it somebody else. But ur saying why am I any different I thought I was ‘special’ and this is where the pride comes in, like HE wouldn’t have that particular thing happens i am who i am that happens to other ppl. But it doesn’t. It happens to me! But it does and who am I to supass them. Everyone has to go through something. Even if you think you got the bad stuff theres someone else dealing with worse.
winn collier on July 31, 2011 at 8:12 am
thought-provoking, thank you.