I recently attended the Acts 29 Church Planting Conference in Melbourne. In one particular session, Pastor Matt Chandler of The Village Church in Dallas, spoke about his journey with battling cancer, and was addressing the question so many of us ask when it comes to suffering: Why me?
Matt proceeded to rebut this common response with a surprising one: Why not me? I was stunned at his attitude. Why did he say this? This was such a god-centred view, compared to our common human-centred perspective.
Why me?
This is our more common response to difficult situations that we face. We are offended by suffering. We feel like we don't deserve it. It interferes with our plans and our comfort. Suffering is an inconvenience and is often marked by pain, whether physical or emotional.
When we ask this question, the focus is less about wanting others to suffer in our place, and more about whether we should suffer in the first place. Shouldn't life serve me better than this? When we ask this question, we stand on a large presumption: We shouldn't have to suffer. This view is a mostly human-centred one, and often leads us to resentment or turning away from God.
Why not me?
I was stunned to hear Pastor Matt Chandler ask this question. Where did it come from? What was he trying to communicate?
James 2 verses 2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." I suspect Matt Chandler had been reading his Bible. This is a clear command to see God's intention for trials and suffering.
Likewise, in Phillipians 4 verse 13 it says, "But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." Prior to this verse, Peter encourages his readers to not be surprised at the trials they face, as though something strange were happening to them. He wants them to expect suffering.
However, he also wants them to rejoice that God's glory will be revealed through their sufferings. I can imagine Matt Chandler having this same reasoning behind his statement.
Asking the question, "why not me?" implies that as Christians, we should expect suffering. Not only should we expect it, but trust that God is sovereign and has a purpose for suffering. How else would we stand in the face of trials and difficulties? We're all aware of how gut-wrenchingly difficult some situations can be, and yet we are called to trust that God knows what he is doing and that his glory can and will be revealed through our suffering.
The importance of perspective
Let's be honest. Our most common reply to any catastrophe is "Why me?" This may be an ingrained habit of thought, but I propose that it can change. God's desire is always that we see things from his point of view and seek his will for our lives.
"Why me?" is a reaction to being offended. Rather than being offended by suffering and see it as out of the ordinary, why not make it a prayer to see suffering as God sees it. This may not mean knowing why or how it all works, but it does mean that we accept suffering as part of our walk, and we can have peace amidst the storm, knowing that it is part of God's plan for us.
Ultimately, if we were created to bring glory to God, suffering may be a means of doing this. If we truly believe that we exist to being glory to God, it may mean that we walk paths we'd rather avoid, and experience things that are uncomfortable. However, understanding that we exist for the glory of God is essential to responding with "why not me?"
In our own strength, responding in a God-centred way when enduring suffering is almost impossible. Fortunately for us, God gives us his grace and desires that we learn his perspective. No matter what you face, ask God to help you see the situation from his perspective, and thank him for the opportunity to put his glory on display for all to see. Ask him to help you endure it and to trust that he is in control.
Sarah Young is completing her Masters in Clinical Psychology and loves spending time engaging with young people. She spends her spare time writing songs, running and going on adventures with her husband, James.
Sarah Young's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/sarah-young.html