Daily Butter (6/24/11) Good Intentions

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/24/11)

His wife said to him, "Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!" ...

Job's three friends … met together to go and offer sympathy and comfort to him.

(Job 2: 9, 11 HCSB)

I marvel at the depth of Job’s faith. I don’t know how one could remain standing with the support network he had around him telling him to either throw in the towel (his wife’s first and last word recorded for us) or day after day of the “sympathy and comfort” of his friends accusing him of bringing the tribulation on himself. Without the peek into heaven that we get in verse 6 that God would not permit his life to be taken, how much faith and trust in the unseen, seemingly uninterested God can one man have to hold on!?

While I long to grow to have a faith similar to that of Job, I see some important lessons and warnings on how to lend support to the suffering. As harsh as I was with his friends, they started out well. They saw a friend in need and took action to give of their time, which twenty-first-century Americans never consider. They arrived and “sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense” (Job 3:13). Waiting on Job to open up was wise, but unfortunately their “comfort” mission seemed to take on the tone of a modern “intervention.”  Sometimes, an arm around the shoulders and the silent prayers are our best we can offer. Pushing beyond that (especially uninvited) is risking playing God, for I don’t know his/her heart. I don’t have the peak into heaven at the beginning of my story to see the big picture.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6 HCSB)

But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:14-15 HCSB)

To listen, to love, and to be prepared to answer by pointing to the One who DOES have the answers is what we are called to do.

Andy Jentes