A friend of mine once came out of a meeting to find his headlights smashed. A friend, staring wide-eyed at the shattered headlights asked, “What do you think God is trying to say to you?”
“I think he’s trying to say I need to get my headlights fixed.”
Have you ever interpreted painful things as God punishing you? Perhaps you committed some sin you don’t remember – or maybe you do remember – a long time ago, and the “bad” things that have been happening are God’s punishment.
Sometimes when we suffer, we think, “Why is this happening to ME? Or why is this happening NOW? What have I done?”
Maybe you haven’t “done” anything. One thing is certain. God is NOT punishing you if you’ve trusted Christ for salvation. Why not? Because Jesus took the full punishment for every sin of his children, so that for all who believe in him no punishment remains – none. There is now NO condemnation, NO punishment for believers, because Jesus was punished for our sins and God won’t punish the same sin twice. To do so would be unjust.
So why is this happening?
Because God is making us into the image of his Son, pruning away what’s ungodly, proving the authenticity of our faith, producing endurance and hope. God disciplines and trains us but never punishes those who’ve trusted Christ. At times he allows us to experience the consequences of our sin but never the punishment for that sin. God prepares us to enjoy him forever, but never punishes us because punishment is gone. Christ took it.
Why is this happening to ME? Because God loves me as a Father. Because he loves me so much he’s forming the image of his Son in me. Why is this happening NOW? Because my loving Father knows this is the best time in my life to do this.
So what do I think God is trying to say? I think he’s trying to say, “I love you. Rejoice and be glad you’re the object of my steadfast love.”
