What's the Point? - Pt 1

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:26-28 ESV).

I’m nearly finished with my first work of fiction. It is in the genre of “historical fiction.” It has been a challenge in some areas and an absolute marvel in some others. Obviously, I love to write and since I’m a story-teller, writing the story hasn’t been much of an effort. However, I find the development of the characters has been challenging. Inevitably to push the story along I must make something bad happen to one of the main characters. I know they are fictional, but I’ve grown to like some of them. I’ve actually mused a bit about a real conversation with them. I’m sure that if you asked them, “Would you like to suffer less?” I’m sure they’d answer, “Yes!” I empathize with my characters. But as the author, I know that in the end all their suffering will be worth it, since it’s critical to their growth, and to the story. May I remind each of you that God has written you into his story? You are part of something far greater than yourselves. God calls upon us to trust him to weave that story together, so that, in the end that will never end, we will worship him, slack-jawed at the sheer genius of his interwoven plotlines. But like my fictional characters, who are clueless to my strategies, we lack the perspective to see how parts of our lives fit into God’s overall plan. Cancer, disabilities, accidents, and other losses and sorrows appear devastatingly pointless. However, just because we don’t see any point in suffering doesn’t prove there is no point. There are countless testimonies of people who have lived long enough with suffering to prove there is a point to all of the pain. Scripture teaches us that in our sovereign God’s loving hands, no suffering we face is ever purposeless, no matter how it seems at the moment. Our reading today is one of the most arresting statements in Scripture: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The context shows that in a groaning, heaving world, God’s concern is conforming his children to Christ’s image. And he works through the challenging circumstances of our lives to develop our Christlikeness. That’s the final goal of God. And, it is for our good! That’s the point!