31: At What Point Should God Push Us?

Chapter Nine is Job's response to Bildad, which seems a little forced. He basically says that he knows that he cannot argue with God. He acknowledges God's almighty power and understands the separation between God and himself.

However, he says some interesting things, such as he says he would argue with God if he could. I like that. I like that a lot. But, of course, he can't argue with God because God does not answer. And even if He could, God would not listen to our complaints. "Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason." Nice God. So if we call your name, like the Third Day song implies, You would crush us and make our suffering worse. To me, Job has gotten to the point where he begins thinking suicidal thoughts. He constantly says that he despises his life and wishes he was dead. I guess Job isn't a champion of God after all. I guess having all that 'stuff' really helped him become a Christian. I'm not saying that I'm better than Job. Hell, if Christianity promised me riches and material things I would be more devoted than I am now. Yes, I'm selfish. But at this point, I know that everyone is selfish too.

So my question is at what point should God push us or challenge us? I've heard people say that God will never give us more than we can handle, but what about the psychological damage He can do by bringing us to the brink of despair. He allowed his best Christian soldier to experience turmoil and heartache just for some silly bet. Job now is cursing the day he was ever born. That doesn't sound very Christian to me.

In my life, I think that the Oregon experience gave me some direction, but what about the damage it caused, the side effects that will stay with me forever. Were those planned by God? In no way is depression and suicidal thoughts ever a good thing. So why would God bring us to that point? I just don't get Him and His ways. I'm all for being pushed to my limits, but to say that if something doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger is foolish. Just ask all those people who did die because they were pushed to the limit.

This mentality only needs to fail once.

30: Christians are Nice Guys. Thanks.

Chapter Eight introduces us to Job's second friend named, Bildad. However, unlike his name suggests, he is not fatherly-like at all. He claims that Job is being punished because he has sinned. Job should stop complaining and start repenting.

While I don't necessarily agree with him, I do like the way in which he says what he says. He is poetic and smooth. He says that we should look to the past, which, in modern times, could suggest looking at the Bible. By searching the Bible, we can see that we know nothing. But this is not to belittle our intellectual abilities. It only proves that we are infants in spiritual growth. Even I, the somewhat great scholar (cough), have a lot to learn.

He further states that we cannot grow without this foundation. He compares us to weeds without water. "Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water?"

However, I believe Bildad gets it wrong when he states that God does not reject the righteous man and does not strengthen the hand of the wicked. Perhaps in the afterlife all things will be just, but on earth, this earth, I question how bad people gain material wealth and are deemed successful. By Bildad's thoughts, all Believers should be happy and all non-Believers should be weak. In the real world, however, I almost see the exact opposite. It is the Christians who are weak and the non-believers who are successful. Granted, this is only on earth and not in all eternity, but still. We, as humans, don't know the afterlife and cannot comprehend infinity. Therefore, life, to us as we can understand it, is what we see on earth, now.

I do believe that even if God does not intentionally reject the righteous man, He still can ignore him and cause him pain. Also, I believe that God can give the wicked power, such as he did in Pharoah's heart when he told Moses that his people could not go. Right there, in one of the Bible classics, is an example of how God can deem power to the wicked. Ah, but wait. It's for His purpose, right? So I guess that makes it okay?

No, it doesn't. It makes life more confusing. So as Christians are labeled as nice guys, everyone else can live based on their natural instincts and scratch and claw for whatever they can before they die. This may seem like a tortoise and the hare type of race, but sometimes it pays to be the hare. Remember, just don't stop to take a nap.

29: Let me alone, God

Chapter Seven. Boy, what a downer. Job compares the life of a Believer to that of a slave 'longing for the evening.' He is very poetic in his analogies. And I can't disagree with him. Life as a Believer has been, at least for me, a struggle. It's been misery. Granted, there have been some fun times, but mostly it's been about sacrifice, guilt, and fear. This is why I'm trying to search for a true relationship with God, a relationship not built on said things.

Job, in a way, stands up to God in this scene. He says that as a man, he has only one short life to live. Unlike God, his life is limited on this earth and he does not want it to be wasted in misery. I love this because I felt the same way in Oregon. God is good and great. I submit to those facts. Yet, I hate it that God can 'waste' my time and my life, even for only a moment because I know how precious life is. My breathe is limited to 70 years or so and for God to spend even a day of it, in my mind, on punishment bothers me. Doesn't it bother anyone else? For God, time does not exist. But humans, for life, time is the great equalizer. We all expire and I just hate it when my time is used as a lesson-teaching afterschool special.

The greatest statement in this section is "Let me alone." Job talks to God and I love it. There are times when I feel like I want God to leave me alone. I know that this becomes problematic in theological groundings, but it would be nice to take the credit for things that happen in life and also to take the blame. The later is more important to me. I can give all the praise to God when things are good. That's fine. But when things are bad, I'd rather place the blame on myself than wonder if the blame goes to God. And another thing, Can we blame God for bad things that happen? Is God blameless? Is God responsible for nothing bad, only good?

I have no idea, but for me, if God takes the glory, He must, take the blame. I don't care who you are, but you can't just take the glory and ignore the blame. It's a part of the job. There needs to be someone or something that takes the responsibility.

28: You're a good man, Charlie Job

I'm liking Job more and more. He replies to his friend with some deep philosophical-Confucius-type questions and observations. "Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg?" That's pretty deep if you ask me.

He goes on to state that he really feels God's cold shoulder, a feeling I know well. He can't figure out why, which is a nice setup for the story. If an angel appeared and told him everything, I would think that this is a great tale, but unrealistic. God does not tell me what I'm doing wrong with His voice. Yes, I know I need to learn to listen to God, but Job's situation is more realistic and I appreciate that. He is left in the dark as to why his life has become the bottom of a trash can.

I also like how he compares his friends to a stream of water. While the rain is good, words of support flow from their mouth. Yet, when times are bad, they abandon him or scorn his actions. This is telling often of how good a friend really is. It's easy to be friends with someone when things are going well. It's those friends who stick with you when times are bad that are true friends. They aren't afraid to ask what's wrong and are willing to talk about the problems at hand.

I like how Job stands up for himself, even in the company of friends. He could have bought into what Eliphaz said, that God is disciplining him for something that is unrighteous in his life. But he knows God; he has a relationship with God that is personal and true. He admits that something is not the way it used to be, but he needs time to figure it out. Yet, he has faith through all of this. You are a good man, Job. A good man.

27: A-cracked-glass-is-half-empty-kind-of-guy

Chapter Five is more ranting by Eliphaz, who comes across as a legalistic believer, at least to me. While I sometimes enjoy pointing out the Christian deficiencies in others from time to time, this guy is brutal. He tells Job to embrace the discipline God is giving him, as if Job needed to be corrected. According to the beginning of the story, Job was nearly perfect. What did he need to improve on? Of course, it's easy to talk down to others when it isn't happening to you. Isn't that right, Eliphaz?

Again, I understand that Eliphaz is just trying to make sense of all of the bad things that have happened to his friend. I would appreciate that if bad things happened to me. Ahem. But in quickly saying that it is Job's own fault that bad things are happening to him is bad theology, of which I used to buy into. I often thought that bad things happen to Christians, more specifically me, because of something that I did to upset God. Granted, God does get mad and throws bolts of thunder down upon us sometimes, but most of the time, I believe, bad things happen because that is just life. And life does not discriminate between believer and non-believer. That's why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. It just happens. There is no direct correlation between goodness/badness and how life treats you. This, in a way, is nice. If only good things happened to you if you were a good person, no one would be nice for the sake of being nice. Good deeds would carry baggage with them, which is, of course, a bad thing.

So while I do worship a God who COULD make my life an easy drive down main street, it doesn't mean that He will do that for me. And I shouldn't expect Him to do that either. That is important in my life. No expectations. I believe, but don't expect things to happen. Yes, call me a pessimist. I'm a "glass is half empty" kind of guy, but it's only empty because there is a crack in the side. I have faith that God will take care of me. The details are for Him to worry about, not me.

A weekend in Fort Collins sure clears the mind.

26: Eliphaz the Termite

Eliphaz the Temanite, or what I thought was Termite, speaks kind words to Job. In Chapter 4, he tells Job to remember all the good things he has done in his life and that God would never punish him. Eliphaz believes that if you live a good life God will give you good things. If you live a bad life, God will give you bad things. This theology makes sense, but unfortunately isn't how things work.

For me, if this is how Christianity functioned, I would get it. You do good, you get good. You do bad, you get bad. And I'm not talking about in the afterlife. I'm talking about now. Do-gooders get stuff now. Not later, but now. My driveway would have a nice Corvette in it. I would have a house that has a driveway to put my Corvette in it. I'd be financially secure. I'd have a wonderful family. Basically, I'd win the lottery and want to have everything.

But alas, spiritual riches are only given in heaven. In the meantime, I must be content with what I have. Not an easy task when the non-Believe lifestyle looks so much more fun.

Eliphaz appears to be a good friend. He encourages and his words can be uplifting to someone who is questioning God. Then he goes on to say that he was visited by a spirit, probably an angel. In this dream/vision, the spirit asks him if man can be more righteous than God. Ouch!

Now Eliphaz is turning the blame on Job. I think that he now thinks that Job believes he is holier than God and should repent. Damn! I thought Eliphaz was a good friend. He's like one of those friends that uses any of your bad occasions to promote how holy he or she is. While that's great for them to brag, it doesn't really help you out in your walk with God. It just makes you feel bad.

So I guess, in that sense, Eliphaz is like a termite. He may seem harmless at first, but damage is done over time and he wears you away until you have no support in your self-esteem.

At least Job has two other friends, right?

25: G.I. Job, A Real Christian Hero

Yes! Stand up for yourself! Finally! Job says what I sometimes think. He is speaking like a real Christian, not those fake ones that have everything going for them. I'm proud of Job for finally getting into the tough questions. I've heard enough Bible stories where good things happen. We finally get a holy man who is pissed off at God, something we can all relate to.

So Job speaks and what comes out of his mouth is quite disturbing. Chapter 3 is a big rant about how he wishes he wasn't born and that he curses the day of his birth. That's cool. It's a little dramatic and suicidal, but mostly kind of funny. He didn't speak for seven straight days and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is "May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!" Again, it's a little dramatic.

He talks about, in great detail, how lucky the dead are because they do not have to suffer. He admits that he has no peace, but turmoil. While Job may be talking about the physical dead, I believe he speaks of the spiritual dead.

I often find myself asking the same question: Why is light (happiness) given to those who are spiritually dead (non-Christian)? I wouldn't care about this answer except that while those individuals have light, I have darkness, nothing.

Job sums it up pretty well. "Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water."

Buddy, we are still trying to figure out this one. Why do good things happen to non-Believers? Let me rephrase that. Why do non-Believers get BLESSED? I thought blessings were saved only for God's children. It seems like He hands out blessings like they're at random.

Again, this wouldn't be a problem for me if I, as a Believer, received a few more blessings....

...I have to catch myself when I do this. I'm trying to recognize my blessings, even if I don't ask for them. So I apologize in mid-sentence.

This illustrates that we will always compare ourselves to other people. It's human nature. I guess the thing to remember is that while we may see others as having great things that we want, we probably have a few things that others want as well. This shouldn't boost our ego, but rather give us confidence in what we have.