Why do the righteous suffer? Why do the wicked prosper? This theme is commonly seen throughout the book of Job. As Job is tested, he constantly questions the thriving wicked and why he, a righteous man, is the one suffering. The idea that the ones who do the right thing are the ones who receive good things in return is a common proverb — “honesty is the best policy,” as exemplified by many of us who do our best to always tell the truth.
What about the prosperity gospel theory that tells us if we do good things, God will give us in return ten times what we did? The book of Job defies these ideas. Why is that? Job was an incredibly righteous man. Why did God not give him what he deserved — prosperity? I think it shows that although one tries to live a righteous life, not everything is glitter and gold. Because of this, the book of Job is still applicable in today’s society.
It is apparent that the main theme of the book of Job is that the righteous continue to suffer, despite their good actions and intentions. However, as exemplified by Job’s life, it is up to the righteous to continue to live life and endure the pain. In addition, they must never take their eyes off God.
Job placed his struggles and stresses upon the Lord’s shoulders; he did not consider confronting one of his three friends. Job’s business was with God, and God alone. During his days of suffering, Job followed through with his piety, and although he grew prideful toward the end of his test, he submitted to God and was freed from his burdens. God blessed him with twice the amount of blessings as he had before.
Once again, however, the question arrives: Are the ones who do good receive good things in return? Job certainly did, but his blessings did not come to him for only doing the right thing. He had to endure his share of suffering first.
Job’s suffering tarnished his mentality and strength, but he was faithful and committed to God nonetheless. The result of this was God’s blessing. This shows that doing the right thing does not necessarily result in blessing, but remaining faithful and committed to God in the face of adversity is what truly matters. As a Christian goes through struggles, he has a crucial decision to make: to either put his trust in God or let the struggle take control of his life. This is important to remember in today’s society.
Today, the world tells people that when they are struggling they should wear a mask and smile. They should always appear to be okay and no one needs to know that something is wrong. Perhaps this is true to an extent, depending on one’s mindset, but it is extremely difficult for one to deal with his problems on his own. If he relies on God and has at least one individual to help him stay accountable, the task of overcoming struggles becomes much easier.
Having accountability is also seen in the book of Job for he does not have good accountability. His friends are constantly in his face, telling him that he is a sinner and that his sins are the reason for his suffering. They fail to listen to his pleas and troubles. Because of this error, one can learn that it is better to have good friends to help him through his struggles than to have friends who do not care enough to take the time to try to understand the problem.
Hardship is the very essence of the Christian life. It is not as filled with rainbows and butterflies as it may seem. It is up to the Christian to continue to trust God for His provision and faithfulness in accordance with His promises. No matter what happens — if one’s friends turn against him, if strife overwhelms him or even if he loses all of his possessions. Job proves to people that God is enough, even though God may be the one bringing the hard times.
God has many blessings in store for His children. Even the hard times may be blessings in disguise. God is a loving God who loves to give blessings. I think one of God’s favorite things to do is bless us. Overall, we, as Christians, can look to Job for guidance on remaining true to God during difficult times even in our modern world.
