A God who watches us struggle

23 May 2010

“God loves you. God has a wonderful plan for you, a plan to prosper you and never to harm you.”

We hear that often. We even pray and claim this promise often.

But if God’s plan is to prosper us, why are we still miserable? Why are we still struggling? Why do we still feel crappy and pointless at times?

Is it because our faith is not strong enough? Or perhaps we did not try hard enough? Or maybe it was because we are not desperate enough – someone says if we are desperate enough, God will break through and rescue us – so the fault is ours?

But what if we cannot manufacture enough faith, what if we know what our problem is and we are miserable – we want out but at the same time are resisting the possibility of being out? Why such contradictions, you say? We don’t know – it is just life – and life is full of contradictions.

Will God then stay at the sideline and watch us struggle?

What kind of sick God is that? He just watches us suffer and does nothing?

They say a butterfly has to go through a big struggle to be out of its cocoon. The exertion to free itself from the cocoon pushes fluids out of the butterfly and at the same time strengthens its wings. Both are necessary if the butterfly is to successfully fly away.

Sometimes the best way for God to love us is to stay at the sideline and watch. ‘Rescuing’ us at the wrong time will be to harm us.

Just as it is only through its struggle that the butterfly develops resilience to fly through life, our life struggles develop character which prospers us.