在你經受看似「無意義」的傷痛時，信靠神吧！

我已經寫了九部小說。假設你可以採訪我寫的小說中的主角們，你若問他們，「你希望少些痛苦嗎？」他們肯定會回答，「是的！」

我很同情他們，但作為創作者，我深知，他們經受的痛苦到最後都是值得的，因為這對他們的成長至關重要，而且最終指向的也是救贖故事。

神其實已經把我們每個人都寫進了他的救贖故事。我們是遠遠超過我們自己的救贖故事的一部分。祂呼召我們信靠祂——祂會把一切都編排好，因此，直到最後故事也不會終結，我們會一直敬拜祂，並對祂絕妙的安排嘆為觀止。

1

「無意義」的傷痛？

就如我小說里虛構的角色，他們參不透我各樣安排的用意。我們其實也一樣，我們沒有神的視角，看不到自己生活的一部分是如何嵌入神的整全計劃。比如癌症，殘疾，意外事故或者其他看似毫無意義的苦難。然而，只是因為我們看不到苦難的意義，並不代表苦難就沒有意義。

瓊妮?厄爾克森?多田（Joni Eareckson Tada）在輪椅上慶祝了她五十歲的生日。「慶祝」這個詞是否用錯了呢？相對她17歲時絕望地想要結束自己的生命而言，「慶祝」當然是個好詞。回顧過去，我們看到她的生命有極大的改變，以及神借著瓊妮，祝福了無數的生命（包括我的家庭）。聖經教導我們，我們在至高無上的神的愛的手中，沒有任何我們所面臨的痛苦是無意義的，不管當時看起來如何。

有多少事件的發生，是神有計劃的安排但看起來卻毫無意義？

2

所有的一切都是為了我們永恆的益處

羅馬書8:28是聖經中最讓人印象深刻的經文之一：「我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處，就是按他旨意被召的人。」從上下文可以看出，在這個嘆息、勞苦的世界，神更關心的是，祂的兒女可以效法耶穌的樣式而活。因此，祂藉著我們所處的各樣充滿挑戰的環境，在我們生命中做工，使我們活像耶穌。

在舊約中找羅馬書8:28，約瑟對他的弟兄們（曾經把約瑟賣作埃及的奴隸）說：「從前你們的意思是要害我，但神的意思原是好的，要保全許多人的性命，成就今日的光景。」（創世記50:20）

「神的意思原是好的」表明神並不只是被動地用最好的辦法來應對壞的境況；相反，神預先知道約瑟的弟兄們會做什麼，祂任憑他們犯罪，祂計劃把他們惡劣的罪行用於良善的目的。祂根據祂永恆的計划行做萬事。祂讓「我們也在他裡面得了基業，這原是那位隨己意行做萬事的，照著他旨意所預定的。」（以弗所書1:11）

關於神在約瑟生命中的工作，並不表明他在其他兒女的生命中會有所不同。事實上，羅馬書8:28和以弗所書1:11強調祂一樣會在我們生命中如此做工。

你相信羅馬書8:28的應許嗎？看清在你身上發生的最糟糕的事情，然後問你自己，你是否願意相信神會為了你永恆的益處而使用這些糟糕的事情？聖經宣稱祂會這樣做。

3

信靠祂的賞賜

如果我們愚蠢地認為，除非祂無限的智慧完全可以被我們理解，否則祂沒有資格贏得我們的信任。我們其實是自設了一個不可能實現的情況——不是因為神的局限性，而是我們自己（看以賽亞書55:8-9）

耶和華說：「我的意念非同你們的意念，我的道路非同你們的道路。天怎樣高過地，照樣，我的道路高過你們的道路，我的意念高過你們的意念。（以賽亞書55:8-9）

有時候，就如約瑟最終所經歷的，神會讓我們一瞥祂的全知全能和純全良善的旨意。前一段時間，我的一個朋友經歷了一場嚴重的事故和備受煎熬的恢復期。但是這次事故拯救了他的生命。醫學測試顯明，一個不相關的情況需要立刻得到關注。

在這種情況下，事故發生的原因一目了然。然而很多時候，在其他情況下，我們不知道苦難發生的原因。但是，即便我們不知道，我們為何要因著我們的無知而判定我們所經歷的毫無意義呢？只有神知道究竟發生了什麼，祂深知這並不是毫無意義。（當時耶穌痛苦地死亡對當時的人們而言不也是毫無意義的嗎？）

4

從永恆的喜樂開始

當面對試煉時，如果可以給他一些選擇，我確信約瑟會走出神的故事的舞台。在約伯的故事中，他的十個孩子已經死了，而他身上從腳掌到頭頂都長了毒瘡，他明顯是被神遺棄了——問他是否想要從中走出來。我知道他的回答，因為他在約伯記3:11說了，「我為何不出母胎而死？」

但那都過去了。在未來的新天新地里，約伯、約瑟和耶穌坐在筵宴上，問他們，「真的值得嗎？

「當然，」約伯說，約瑟也用力地點點頭。不需要猜想耶穌會如何回應。

有一天，我們也會像他們一樣，在更大的背景下，從永恆的視角，看到神極豐盛的憐憫，其中的一些很可能我們從來沒有理解過，或者其中的一些我們深感不滿。我們會很想知道，為什麼我們祈禱要更像耶穌，而當神回應我們的禱告時我們卻請祂拿走。

所以我們不喪膽。外體雖然毀壞，內心卻一天新似一天。我們這至暫至輕的苦楚，要為我們成就極重無比永遠的榮耀。原來我們不是顧念所見的，乃是顧念所不見的。因為所見的是暫時的，所不見的是永遠的。（哥林多前書4：16-18）

信心就是在今天相信：有一天，當我們回想起來，我們會看到神一直是信實的。我們不要等到死前5分鐘才相信神凡事都有美意。讓我們現在就把目光定睛在我們仁慈的，至高無上的，凡事都有祂的美意的救贖者身上！

作者：Randy Alcorn 翻譯：謝璇

來源：DesirngGod.com

I』ve written nine novels. Suppose you could interview characters from my books. 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 redemptive story.

God has written each of us into his story. We are part of something far greater than ourselves. 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.

Pointless Pain?

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.

Joni Eareckson Tada is celebrating her fiftieth year in a wheelchair. Does celebrating seem the wrong word? It certainly would have to Joni as a 17-year-old desperately wanting to end her life. Yet looking back, we see her exponential character growth and the countless lives — my family』s included — God has touched through Joni. 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.

How many times does God have a purpose in events that seem senseless when they happen?

All Things for Our Eternal Good

Romans 8:28 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.

In the Romans 8:28 of the Old Testament, Joseph said to his brothers (who』d sold him into slavery), 「As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive」 (Genesis 50:20).

「God meant it for good」 indicates God didn』t merely make the best of a bad situation; rather, fully aware of what Joseph』s brothers would do, and freely permitting their sin, God intended that the bad situation be used for good. He did so in accordance with his plan from eternity past. God』s children have 「been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will」 (Ephesians 1:11).

Nothing about God』s work in Joseph』s life suggests he works any differently in the lives of his other children. In fact, Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11 are emphatic that he works the same way with us.

Do you believe the promise of Romans 8:28? Identify the worst things that have happened to you, and then ask yourself if you trust God to use those things for your good. The Bible asserts that he will.

The Gift of Our Trust

If we foolishly assume that our Father has no right to our trust unless he makes his infinite wisdom completely understandable, we create an impossible situation — not because of his limitations, because of ours (see Isaiah 55:8–9).

Occasionally, like Joseph eventually experienced, God gives us glimpses of his rationale. Some time ago, a friend of mine endured a serious accident and a painful recovery. But it saved his life. Medical tests revealed an unrelated condition that needed immediate attention.

In that case, a compelling reason for the accident became clear. In other cases, we don』t know the reasons. But given all that we don』t know, why do we assume our ignorance of the reasons means there are no reasons? Only God is in the position to determine what is and isn』t pointless. (Didn』t the excruciating death of Jesus appear both gratuitous and pointless at the time?)

A Head Start on Eternal Joy

Given the option while facing his trials, I』m confident Joseph would have walked off the stage of God』s story. In the middle of Job』s story — with ten children dead, his body covered in boils, apparently abandoned by God — ask him if he wants out. I know his answer because in Job 3:11 he said, 「Why did I not die at birth?」

But that』s all over now. On the coming new earth, sit by Job and Joseph and Jesus at a lavish banquet. Ask them, 「Was it really worth it?」

「Absolutely,」 Job says. Joseph nods emphatically. No need to wonder how Jesus will respond.

One day, we too will see in their larger context, with an eternal perspective, God』s severe mercies, some of which we never understood, and others we resented. We』ll wonder why we prayed to be more like Jesus but then begged God to remove what he sent to answer those prayers.

「Therefore we do not give up. . . . For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal」 (2 Corinthians 4:16–18, CSB).

Faith is believing today what one day, in retrospect, we will see to have been true all along. Let』s not wait until five minutes after we die to trust that God always has a point. Let』s learn to do it here and now, eyes locked on our gracious, sovereign, and ever-purposeful Redeemer

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