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"Alright. Let me help clear the confusion. If something tragic happened in China right now, Americans would say 'Why did it have to happen to them, why not us?' "
I spoke up. "Well, that could be said the other way around. If it happened here, Chinese people would be like 'Why them, why not us?' It's a confusing world." Everyone brought out a little laugh.
"That's the thing. God makes things happen for a reason and yet we question his plans all the time. Why can't we just let his plan be done and go to him for help to see what else is in store for us? Why can't we just accept what happens?"
"Are you asking me?"
"Yea."
"Why me? Why not him?" *points to classmate*

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We've all pointed fingers at least once in our lifetime and without a doubt, it felt good. Don't lie to me. You know you've done it. When you had to do something you wish your brother or sister would do it instead. (If you're an only child, I'm sure you wished you had an adopted brother at times.)

One of the big times we like to point fingers at someone else is when God puts us through hard times. We pray and ask "Why me? Why now?". Yet, why does it always have to seem like a bad thing? Every time something happens to someone (including myself), I say that everything happens for a reason. Because of that, everything can have a good side to it. If you failed a test, maybe it's God's way of making you try harder next time.

I'm sure you've heard of the following verse which is taken from Romans 5:3
"...rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance..."
Yea, yea, yea. We know that already.
Well for those of you who haven't, this verse is telling us that the more we suffer the more we can persevere.
For example, lets say you got a new pet dog. Your parents told you that having it is one thing and taking care of it is another thing that you would have to face. At first, it may have been troublesome because you would have to spend some time cleaning it and especially cleaning after it. (if you know what I mean) But after a while, its no biggie. You get used to it and don't really complain. Same with God in our lives. We may face times where we barely have time to study or meet an atheist friend who refuses to convert. Those times are just times we'll have to keep facing and be able to persevere with. We have to do what God wants us to do in those times.

Let me point out another verse from James 1:3
"...the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Aha! You might think its the same as the other verse but in a way its different. Here it says that the testing of your faith helps you persevere. In that case, we might as well just link suffering and the testing of your faith. Therefore, the Bible is telling us that we suffer because God's trying to test our faith. He wants us to go to him and ask him for help rather than run around complaining like a wild animal. (Maybe you don't do that...but I do...sometimes)

So let's try and go through every hardship God brings us too. Start a habit of not pointing fingers and start taking them on your own. After all, didn't someone once say "If you want to get a job done, you might as well get it done yourself"? Exactly. With God in our lives, we can overcome everything and that's exactly what he wants us to do.


"When you point your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you."


-----Invader05