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Many times in life things happen that we don’t understand, and we may wonder why. This is particularly difficult if we were of the mindset that this life is supposed to be fair and just, for it is not. Things can be further complicated if we erroneously think that faithfulness to Christ is a guarantee of blessing and reward in this life. God does exalt the humble, but only at the proper, or due, time (1 Peter 5:6), which could well be in the life to come when rewards and honor will endure forever. But if we were expecting God to reward us now or if we thought that God should make all things work out fairly in the present, we might find ourselves struggling if and when things collapse out from under us. What is a Christian to think and do when life isn’t fair and hardship befalls the righteous?

First, we as Christians must understand and accept the reality that the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). In this life, sometimes the wicked prosper, and other times the righteous reign victorious. Sometimes evil people get away with things, and the righteous are unduly condemned. In this world, we experience trouble as Christ predicted we would (John 16:33). Our hope is that He has overcome this world, which means in part that He will render to each according to His deeds (Romans 2:6). He will settle all accounts, avenge all wrongs, and make all things fair and just. But in the meantime, things will be out of balance, unfair, and unjust. Thus, we must accept the reality of being in a fallen world, and we must then look forward to the day when Christ will make all things right. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness and stewardship because God sees all. He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). He will repay both wrongs and rights, so we must keep our focus on what is yet to come.

Secondly, we must by faith trust that God hasn’t forgotten us or betrayed us as if He is giving somebody else preferential treatment or answering their requests and not ours. God knows what He is doing, and He shows no partiality (Romans 2:11). God cares for all of His children equally and perfectly. Thus, we must never conclude that God has forsaken us or betrayed us, for He has promised to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He will be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). The difficult but true reality is that sometimes we must suffer with Him in this life (2 Corinthians 1:5, Colossians 1:24), yet suffering with Christ is far better than suffering without Him. At least we as Christians have the promise that our all-powerful and loving God will cause all things to work for our good as His children (Romans 8:28). God doesn’t betray His children, and He will always be with us. He is aware of everything that happens to us, and all that happens to us is for a reason. He will work good out of all things, and He is the One fighting on our behalf (Deuteronomy 3:22). Ultimately, He will see to it that we are not unduly put to shame (Isaiah 49:23).

Thirdly, we must accept the fact that, though God understands all things, we don’t understand everything. But we have something that is of a surpassing value to understanding, and that is the peace of God. Paul says in Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." After we have given our petitions to God and offered Him thanks, we must rest in Him, being anxious no longer because He cares for us. God promises to give us His peace which will guard our hearts and minds so that we don’t have to despair, doubt, or give into temptation. If we doubt or continue in worry and despair, it is likely because we are trying to be the ones to ultimately solve our problems. Though there is a role for us to play, ultimately we must trust ourselves to the hands of God. We must let His peace guard our hearts and minds, which it is fully able to do because it surpasses all comprehension. I believe that the idea of surpassing comprehension has a couple levels of meaning. First, it means that God’s peace is so wonderful that it is beyond our ability to understand it with our mere mental faculties and reasoning abilities. Somehow we can just have calm in our spirits and be tranquil internally even when life is chaotic and falling to pieces around us. Yet I believe Paul is saying something else in addition to this. The word translated "surpasses" could also mean "overtop," "outrank," "superior," or "better than[1]." In Philippians 3:8, it is translated as "surpassing value." I think what Paul is saying is not only is the peace of God so wonderful that it defies our minds’ ability to understand it but that the peace of God is even preferable to our trying to figure out our lives and understand our circumstances. God never answered Job as to why He allowed the calamity to befall him. He merely wanted Job to acknowledge Him as God and to worship Him as God. Job’s calling and ours is simply to trust God and to let Him sort it all out. He knows what He is doing, and He is in control. He is also perfectly loving. Thus, rather than try to understand all that comes our way, we should rather trust our God completely. We need to take God at His Word that His peace is better, superior, and of a higher rank and value than our ability to understand all that happens to us and why. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Trusting completely in God is closely related to not depending on our ability to understand it all. We only see such a small part of the entire picture that we are much better off simply trusting than trying to understand God’s every move.

When difficult times come that defy our understanding, we must choose to not lean on our own understanding but upon what we know in the Word of God and about the character of God. We know God loves us because He gave us His Son to die for us. We know that God can do anything because He raised Christ from the dead. When we are prone to doubt and set to crumble under the pressures of life, let us remember the love and power of God and our Savior Who has overcome the world. One day we will not just have the peace of God in our hearts but we will have the peace, justice, and glory of God about us and around us (Micah 5:5). Let us endure the fiery trials that come now, not being surprised by them (1 Peter 4:12), and continue in faithfulness to our Lord. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), and we are to trust in that fact. What a privilege we have in Jesus to have access to His peace at all times and in all circumstances, even when life doesn't make sense.

[1] Thayer and Smith. "Greek Lexicon entry for Huperecho". "The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon".

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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