Circumstances in life can shake us up quite a bit. And arguably, it’s precisely when we’re shaken up the most that what’s at the very bottom of who we are—what we really believe about God, life, and ourselves—arises to the top for us to more clearly see.
Suffering is a complex topic, with many complex factors. But I think one’s general response to suffering shows most clearly what he/she truly believes about…
God’s love
God’s power
God’s wisdom
…and how they exist together, if at all.
What I want to propose is that it’s only in affirming all three of these attributes simultaneously that one will be able to live a life of hope, even in the most severe of circumstances.
Hope inevitably rises and falls where our affirmation of these 3 attributes—existing together—rises or falls. In other words, these three attributes of God must exist in the same capacity for there to be any hope of even having hope.
For example, when you encounter a trauma, your practical response—either with panic or with trust—will show what you functionally believe about how these 3 attributes exist together, if at all. Here’s why:
If you believe in God’s maximal love and God’s maximal power—yet neglect his maximal wisdom—then you will panic. Why? Because your view of God is one who immensely cares for you and is immensely able to help you, but fails to know what to do, or what to do best to accomplish his purposes for you. Indeed, if God is all-loving and all-powerful, but not all-wise, then we simply cannot put our trust in him.
Likewise, if you believe in God’s maximal love and God’s maximal wisdom—yet neglect his maximal power—then you will also panic. Why? Because your view of God is one who immensely cares for you and knows exactly what you need, yet, is not powerful or able enough to deliver his purposes for you. Indeed, if God is all-loving and all-wise, but not all-powerful, then we simply cannot put our trust in him.
Furthermore, if you believe in God’s maximal power and God’s maximal wisdom—yet neglect his maximal love—then you will panic just as much. Why? Because your view of God is one who is immensely able to help you and knows exactly what you need, yet, is not exactly loving enough or eager enough to accomplish his purposes for you. Indeed, if God is all-powerful and all-wise, but not all-loving, then we simply cannot put our trust in him.
A God who is not maximally all three at the same time—all-loving, all-powerful, and all-wise—is a God we simply cannot trust. That’s a logical conclusion.
But, thankfully, there’s another alternative.
If, however, you believe that God is maximally loving, maximally powerful, and maximally wise, then you won’t have to panic. Why? Because your view of God is one who greatly cares for you, is immensely able to help you, and knows exactly what you need. This means, therefore, that he will accomplish his purposes for you. And so, we can trust. We can let down the heaviest anchor of our trust in him, knowing full well that his promises for us are as rock-solid as his character to us—even in the most severe circumstances.
A God who is maximally all three at the same time—all-loving, all-powerful, and all-wise—is a God we can trust. That’s simply a logical conclusion.
In your suffering right now, which attributes of God do you tend to affirm most, and which attributes of God do you tend to neglect most? Why? Unfortunately, if you affirm any of God’s attributes more than another of his attributes, it will inevitably lead to the same dead-end result: a lack of trust.
It’s only in affirming all 3 of God’s attributes—all-loving, all-powerful, and all-wise—that we can live with a genuine sense of hope and trust.
To be sure, suffering will open up your eyes and cut open your heart.
But with eyes wide open, and heart cut open, choose to fill both your vision and your hope with the view of the One who suffered for you on the cross of Calvary—the act which itself stands as the greatest expression of his maximal love, maximal power, and maximal wisdom for us—all working at once.
