Why Not Me?

July 13, 2019

It’s an old ruse. “If God is good, he could prevent evil. If he is all-powerful, he would prevent evil. Evil exists, therefore either God is not good, or he is not powerful.” It all sounds so logical, but ignores a few realities. First, the only way God could prevent evil completely would be to make it impossible to do wrong. But to do this, God would have to force us into obedience, which eliminates love. If I have no choice but to love, it isn’t love; it’s compulsion. There are plenty of women who understand all too well what forced love is like. It isn’t love at all. Even if it is benign, the inability to choose removes the element of love. 

But what about natural disasters? It’s one thing to argue for human freedom as necessary for love, it’s quite another to assert God’s goodness in the face of natural catastrophes. I must be careful here. I’ve been fortunate enough to have avoided most of the ills of this life. I live in a comfortable home, am surrounded by family and friends, have almost no health concerns. I have however, known a certain amount of trouble and suffering, and the question that comes to mind when difficulty crosses my path isn’t “Why me,” but “How does God want to use this situation to make me more clearly reflect his character?” I must admit that this is not always the first question that comes to mind, and that I often have to bite my tongue and do a lot of talking to myself and to God, but I have learned that the Scriptures are true, and when St. Paul said that “all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), he meant it. God did, too.

So tonight, although I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, I know who brings it, and I will with gratitude, accept it by faith, and trust that whether I see it as good or ill, I will allow God to shape me according to his wisdom and plan in Jesus Christ.