“Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” – Job 2:10
There are passages of Scripture that hit deep, and then there are passages like this. These passages make me stop reading and just sit staring at the page. I have been a pastor for over 15 years. I have led countless Bible studies, preached even more sermons, and had more conversations with people taking next steps with God than I ever imagined I would. Yet, there are still times that the mindset that Job had escapes me greatly.
It is not that I truly believe that following Jesus necessarily means everything will go well. In fact, I know that that is not even close to reality. Following Jesus, in many ways, makes our lives more difficult or filled with trouble. Yet, all too often I find myself feeling entitled to the good things of God and above the trouble of this world. Can I get an ‘amen’ from anyone?
Job is a different dude. I mean, he is just built differently. This guy stays faithful and true to God through battles that most of us would tap out of rather quickly. Honestly, do you think you would even make it to Job 2:10 before hurling at least one accusation at God? I want so badly to believe that I would do what Job did but if past behavior is any indicator of future performance, I can’t say that with complete certainty.
I think the story of Job teaches us many things. There are lessons about the importance of having good people around you. There are lessons of faithfulness. There are lessons about worship. Very simply, we could go in so many directions with this book. But, maybe one of the lessons we have in Job’s story is a lesson on integrity. This is what we are seeing in Job after all; integrity. In the earliest verses, God points out that he is blameless and upright. In fact, God says that there is no one else on earth like him. That is high praise regardless of who it came from…and this came from God Himself!! And, when things get rough, Job continues to live his life just as God described him. That is integrity.
Seasons of adversity have a way of revealing our true character. In Job’s case, what he professed in times of abundance matched exactly what he lived when the abundance was stripped away. Job is a model of integrity in his faith. He should be an example to us. Because let’s face it. It is easy to have faith when things are going well. But when things get sketchy, do you live out the same faith you professed when things were good?
Perhaps the reason I pause when I read Job 2:10 is because that is the question that Job’s story forces me to ask myself. When it comes to my faith, will I have integrity? Will my life match what my mouth professes?
My prayer today is that it will. Because there will be times my faith is tested. When it is, I hope…no, I pray…that my faith is one of integrity. I pray the same for you. I pray that when you are tested you live out the same faith that you profess when things are good. I pray that your life is a God glorifying life each and every day, no matter what sorts of trouble you find yourself in.
As we continue through the book of Job, I would like to encourage you to ask the same question that I am asking myself. When trouble arrives, will my life match what my mouth professes?
Check out our website for more information. We always welcome new friends to worship with us. Find a location that’s close to you!
You can learn more about our beliefs and visit our video library to explore more topics like this one. You can also check out our events page to find out what fun new things we’re doing this season.
