It's Not About Us - Understanding The Tragedies of Life

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have something we all need to hear this morning. You might want to sit down or at least grab ahold of something to steady yourselves. Here it comes. This world does not exist for your good pleasure. It does not revolve around you.

Even if you are a follower of Christ, this truth is no different. God did not create us so that we might live out these wonderful little lives, filled with fun and happiness. God created us, so that in us, He would be glorified. This oft misunderstood truth is presented throughout the scriptures, but this morning I present this truth through the well-known story of Lazarus, the man Jesus raised from the dead.

Take a moment to open your Bible and turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 11. Beginning in verse one, we read that there was a man named Lazarus who got sick and ends up dying. Knowing he is already dead, Jesus takes His time getting there. But before he goes, He makes a statement that is key to understanding the Christian life. He says this in John 11:4, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

Take a moment and digest what Jesus said. This entire event has occurred “for the glory of God.” Why? So that the “Son of God may be glorified by it."

To the person who fails to understand God and who He is, this story comes across as harsh. Lazarus gets sick. Jesus is very close to the three people in the story, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, as a matter of Biblical record, he loves them. Yet, despite His proclaimed love for them, He doesn’t rush to the scene to perform one of His great miracles of healing. No, He lets him die.

Now think about this from the perspective of Mary and Martha, who have sent word to Jesus that their other friend was sick. They know Jesus has the power of healing. They probably know Jesus, in His deity, would have already known Lazarus was sick. From our viewpoint we would say they have every right to be very upset over how Jesus responds.

The truth is, when tragedy befalls us or someone we love, we go to God in prayer and we ask Him to respond to our request and save us from the pain of whatever the tragedy is. And that is the proper response, for it demonstrates our dependence on Him. Sometimes God shows up and immediately answers the prayer. When that happens, we raise our hands and praise Him. We share the story and give God the glory.

But what happens when God, like Jesus does here in this story, doesn’t show up. What happens when death takes our loved one? When sickness lingers on and brings great suffering? What do we do when the answer to our prayer is no? Or when the answer is wait?

The key to our faith is to trust in God and to cling firmly to our faith. But that answer will not suffice unless we fully understand that the purpose of all things has at it greatest point, the glory of God. We must understand that sometimes we simply will not understand. Listen to what God says to us from the great prophet, Isaiah.

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Sometimes, we simply cannot understand God’s ways. But we can know this for a fact; whatever has occurred has occurred, “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

The story of Lazarus turns out well, Jesus raises Him from the dead. John adds this fact at the end of the story, “Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.”

Maybe your story hasn’t ended that way. But even so, you can be sure that it ended as God intended it to, and it will bring Glory to Him. This story ought to also motivate us to be very active in sharing the Gospel for no matter what this life brings, to those who receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, they, like Lazarus, will be resurrected unto new life.

The life we live on this earth is hard and even Jesus promised we would have tribulation. We simply must understand that there are things at work much higher than our understanding and at the apex of it all, is the Glory of God. He didn’t create us so we could eat, drink, and be merry. He didn’t save us for that either.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

When we walk in good works, we bring glory to God. It isn’t always easy, but he has promised to walk with us though the journey. But the journey isn’t about us; it’s about Him.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. - Jude 1:24-25