As a Pastor, I’m often confronted with Christians who wonder if God is punishing them.  Sickness, or unemployment or other difficulties and tragedies make them wonder.  They often ask, “Why me?,” and wonder what God is trying to teach them.  While books are written on such subjects, I generally answer with three key points.

First, there is ‘no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,’ (Romans 8:1).  If they are a follower of Jesus Christ they need not fear that God is attacking or punishing them for some mistake they’ve made.  To illustrate, we look at 2 Corinthians 12 together.  There we read of Paul’s thorn, given by God to keep Paul dependant upon the Lord.  This wasn’t as a punishment, but as a tool to help Paul and glorify Christ.  As the Lord says, “My power is made perfect in weakness.”

So, tragedy, suffering or difficulty is not alien to the Christian life.  Like everyone else, we experience hardship.  Yet, we can safely say that these experiences are not God’s wrath against us, nor are they a cosmic punishment.

Second, we turn to Hebrews 12.  Here, we find that God, like a father, disciplines His children.  Of course someone will say, “But I though you said we aren’t punished!”  To which I would reply, “Punishment and discipline aren’t necessarily the same thing.”  Punishment is retribution, it is paying for a crime.  Discipline is training, seeking to improve the targeted person.

Now, the Hebrews 12 passage compares God’s disciplines to a father’s.  This comparison ought to give us great comfort.  This is doubly true if we’re wondering, “what did I do?” or, “what lesson am I supposed to learn?”  You see, when I discipline one of my children, I never hide what they’ve done wrong.  I also do not make them guess.  I explain very clearly what they’ve done wrong, so that they can learn and grow.

God does the same.  If He intends the circumstances of my life to teach me some lesson, then I don’t think He will let me miss it.  To do so would be like spanking a child without explanation.  The child is hurt and confused—and learns nothing.

Finally, we turn to 1 Peter 1:3-9.  Here Peter encourages Christians in persecution by reminding them that persecution refines their faith.  While persecution may not be our hardship, all suffering can produce a similar effect in us.  When faced with suffering we either turn from God or to Him.  When we turn to Him, casting our anxiety upon Him, we learn to love God more and this life less.  Over time, that develops a heart which treasures the things of God.  Romans 5:3-5 explains how enduring suffering develops character and hope.  So even when life seems endlessly frustrating, when sickness or tragedy hits, even when we cannot see why—we can know it will develop our faith.