God, Why Are You Allowing This?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Have you ever found yourself asking God this question: “Lord, how can any good come from this pain I’m dealing with?” Maybe you follow up the question saying things like, “I thought You loved me. Why are you allowing me to go through this immense pain? Why don’t you intervene right now? Why don’t you take this struggle away from me?”

If you have ever wondered about these things, or if you are thinking about them right now, let me encourage you. The Lord does nothing without a purpose. As difficult as it is to believe sometimes, God allows tough times in the lives of His children in order to bring glory and honor to Jesus.

Think about Paul’s life. He spent a very long time in prison instead of preaching and ministering to the lost. Most people, including Paul, probably didn't understand why the Lord was allowing him to remain locked up when he could preaching the gospel to so many people. 

However, while he was in prison, Paul wrote a number of letters, many of which ended up being in the New Testament. Paul was able to do much more good for the Kingdom from prison than He ever could have done from the pulpit. 

Have you considered that God might be doing the exact same thing in your life? He might have you walking through a painful, tough situation because that’s the way you will bring Him the most glory. While you can only see what's right in front of you, God can see all that is ahead of you. He can see how your current circumstances are not only going to grow your faith and trust in Him, but they're also going to allow you to encourage and empathize with others who will go through similar circumstances. 

So instead of asking, “God, why won’t you take this pain away from me?” what if you asked, “God, what do you want to do in my life through this particular situation?” Regardless of what you are going through right now, don’t forget that God cares about you and He is shaping your life to bring Him glory and praise. No matter what comes your way, He can use your life to be a blessing to Him and an encouragement to other people. He promises to work all things together for good. I pray that you will choose to trust Him in that promise today.