This and tomorrow's blog posts are my where my pondering went while listening to the sermon this weekend at my church. If you want to hear the sermon here is the link
Gems of Job - Three Amigos
Are we like Job's friends? Do we encourage those who are down or do we add to their struggle?
Here is what Job's three friends did...
They started out with good intentions. They came together and traveled from their home towns to come and comfort Job.
They sat with him for 7 days and nights without speaking. They saw Job was in great pain and they sympathized with that pain.
Then when they opened their mouths to speak to him...hmm
Maybe they were expecting some great miracle during the week they just sat with him. When the misery continued they decided to "fix Job".
His first friend told him...
You are impatient! You just want God to fix and rescue you now. You need to be patient while He works it out. You have built up others and helped others when they were down and out and now you just want to avoid your turn.
You are reaping what you sowed. Experience has taught me that you get what you deserve. You must have sowed the seeds and now it's harvest time. Time to face the piper...
You brought it on yourself.
How happy is the man whom God reproves - God is disciplining you. You better figure out what the lesson or lessons are so you can get past it.
Do you see yourself in the first friend?
Don't we think these things when we see someone struggling with loss of job, money, family? Don't we judge the homeless and think they must have brought it on themselves? Don't we see the Big illnesses as often a lesson in patience and trust in God? When a child rebels do we often think the parents must have done something wrong to cause it?
Maybe you push these thoughts away or have a strong gift of mercy. However...what do you think when all of these things happen to someone? Yep...that's when you think it must be sinfulness on the part of the other person.
"sometimes it is our fault, sometimes it's someone else's sin, sometimes it is just the consequences of the fall"
The above statement from the sermon is what we need to keep in mind. I think that we also need to keep in mind that it may not be our job to decide which of those reasons are the reason for our friend. We need to discern which one for ourselves but not necessarily for others. I know there are exceptions but I would warn that we need to be sure the Holy Spirit is guiding us when there is an exception.
Here is what Job's second friend said...
You're a windbag, You are full of it. You are just all talk. You don't live the Christian life you just know the words to say.
If your son sinned this is why it has happened. This is why your children died. It was their sins that are causing you all this pain.
If you would seek God - pray about it, if you are pure and upright surely God will help you but because he hasn't surely you have sinned. I see the first two friends are in agreement about Job sinning.
You have forgotten God and that's why this is happening.
God will not forget a man with integrity therefore you must not have integrity.
Are you like the second friend?
Do we accuse our brethren along side with Satan? Let's not allow ourselves to be deceived into helping Satan in his quest to devour and destroy. Instead of telling our friends what to do why don't we step in the gap for them. Have you never been in such despair that you could not pray? I have. That is when I have been so thankful for the Holy Spirit who prays for me. That is when I have been grateful for friends who come alongside and pray with me.
God is God. We need to remember who He is. Do not use faulty logic. The Bible says God will not forget a man with integrity. It is faulty logic to say God forgets a man without integrity. That is not what it says. Read the whole Bible to find out who God is and what His character is. He is the same always.
Or are you more like Job's third friend.
You are boastful - you have said your teaching is pure and you are innocent but you are guilty. You think you are so good but you are not. You need to face that you are pure evil deep down. You are just playing Christian or this would not be happening to you.
Yes...I have actually been told this. Maybe that is why the message today touched my heart.
You are ignorant - you can't understand or know God.
You are just stubborn. If you would direct your heart right things would be better. You must be holding something back and you need to repent.
Are you more like the third friend? I have experienced all of these kinds of accusations cloaked in "we really love you so we need to tell you this". I can tell you it hurts. I can tell you it makes one re-think do I really need friends? I can tell you again it hurts.
I will declare however that I do not blame God for the trials in this life. God is God. He gives and takes away. He is my one true friend who is always there even when life seems darkest.
I will post Job's response to his friends tomorrow.
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