Life Lessons from the Book of Job

The Law of Cause and Effect, which says that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, is a reality that is illustrated throughout life. 

We operate our lives around this way of thinking, attributing causes to actions ourselves or others took, always trying to answer the fundamental question of why various things happen, especially when a cause is not readily apparent.

Pacifying the “gods”

Throughout religious history, people attributed the root cause of all events to pagan gods. In ancient times there was a belief that sacrifices to pagan gods would appease them if things were not going well in life. One would offer a sacrifice to a particular god who controlled a certain area of life, hoping to pacify the god for whatever one had done to cause their disapproval.

In Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, rather than believing that life’s experiences were at the hands of a God or gods, they believe that things that happen to people are the result of karma. We are familiar with this term “karma,” and use it often as a substitute for the law of cause and effect. The twist, however, with karma is that the karmic belief says that everything that happens in life can be attributed to the actions of people, the consequences of what we have done in this life or in previous lives (reincarnation).

The theology reflected in the Old Testament goes one step further and ascribes blessings and suffering as a punishment or reward from God rather than the whim of various gods. Success in whatever way it is measured, was a sign of God’s approval or reward; ill health, poverty, and loss of life, were a punishment from God.

Within this belief that says when things are going well, we are having success, or we are experiencing good health, there is a basic assumption that somehow, we are in right standing with God or that God is blessing us. Material blessings became a sign of God’s blessing, and difficult times reflect the opposite, a sign of God’s punishment.

Job’s Counter-Narrative

Yet, the book of Job in the Bible tells another story, the purpose of which is to address this theology. The story of Job seems to be making this statement: “When things are going well, it is not necessarily a sign of God’s approval, and when things are going poorly, it does not necessarily indicate God’s punishment or disapproval.”

In this narrative, Job was deemed a righteous man (Job 1:1) yet still suffered one tragedy after another. His story seemed to defy the prevalent theological expectation of God at that time, challenging this basic assumption: if Job was so righteous, why was he suffering? The answer from his friends was that Job must have sinned, and God must be punishing him.

Moreover, such a theology of God sees material blessings through the lens of karma and places a high premium on what we currently have or are experiencing; my current blessed state in life is a result of God’s favor upon me, or, my current difficult state in life is because God is displeased with me. Our current state of affairs is the measure of God’s blessing, all the while ignoring the potential of what our current condition may be preparing us for in the future, or how our past choices or the actions of others may be affecting us.

Success, then, is equated to God’s approval of our lifestyle and actions; struggle, poverty, ill health, or challenging circumstances signal that once again, we have displeased God and He is punishing us.

We make similar assumptions about the prosperity and suffering of others: when someone is doing well, when churches are thriving, or when countries seem to be prosperous, their actions and the actions of their leaders have met with God’s approval. As a sign of this approval, God is blessing them or allowing their success, wealth, and growth.

This type of theology does not merely reside in the Old Testament; it can be seen in John chapter 9 and the story of the blind man who was healed by Jesus. Jesus’s disciples famously ask, “who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind” (Jn. 9:2, NIV). Jesus wastes no time in correcting this view (which can also be seen in his sermon the mount and the sermon on the plain in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 7) by asserting, “neither this man nor his parents sinned,” “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (9:3, NIV).

Our Reality

And so, like the disciples, we still struggle to see beyond the material to the spiritual, beyond outward fame and success to the deeper issues. Our struggle is always with the present challenge, and the present blessing or success. We think the good times can’t possibly end, and we fear the bad times never will. We also think the times of both good and bad reflect God’s attitude and actions toward us.

Can wealth and prosperity bring glory to God? Absolutely. Does it always? No.

Can suffering, tragedy, loss, and poverty bring glory to God? Yes. Does it always? Definitely not.

While there is a law of cause and effect, not everything can be simplified so easily. And not all events in life have the stamp of approval or disapproval by God.

This much we can say for certain: beyond the outward struggle or outward rewards, God is attempting to do something inwardly, something that will bring glory to Him and reveal His Kingdom, His goodness, and His love. Through the good and the bad, God wants us to reveal His works, using all things for good, as the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:28.