Be careful little mouth what you say…

Life has learning experiences that I do not want to miss. After yesterday’s revelation, I can better understand what Job experienced, but also better understand the danger and even foolishness of trying to figure out the problems of others. People can get to a place of confusion or despair many different ways, but when anyone gets there, hope for improvement vanishes. This hopelessness takes people as close to insanity as possible without falling off the edge. In other words, despair is the hopelessness that overtakes a sane mind when it is pushed to the extreme in grief.

Job is up against the religious pose of men who do not begin to understand where his sorrow lies. Finally after all their supposing why he suffered, he said, “I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. (Job 16:1–2)

Job refused to say he was guilty of what he knew he was not guilty. He says, “I am not suffering because I have committed sin; I do not know why I am suffering, but I know that is not the reason.”

Many Christians would begin to assume they must be guilty or deserve this is some way, but it turns out that Job was not revolting against God but against the presentation being given of Him.

Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased? But now He hath made me weary: Thou hast made desolate all my company. (Job 16:6-7)

This is what happens when the person in despair is counseled by someone who has no idea what they are going through. No comfort. More desolation. These friends could be helpful only if they had been where Job was — not the same events that he experienced but the same despair.

One writer says this: The only thing to do is to be reverent with what we do not understand. The basis of things is tragic; therefore God must find the way out, or there is no way out. Human reasoning and a human diagnosis of things will do exactly what Job’s friends did — belittle the grief.

PRAY: Lord, how little I realized how much my diagnosis of despair can hurt those who are suffering already until You allowed me to suffer. This was a painful class but a much needed lesson for which I give You thanks.