Finally, an answer to the question, “why me?”

Because you’re human.

Seriously.

This life is no joke, and it’s not always kind. And, if you are a Christian, the Bible makes it crystal clear believing in God doesn’t equal a life of rainbows and butterflies all the time.

Because you’re human, when it starts to rain hard times, sad situations, struggles and suffering, there is a chance your answer to “why me?” falls under one of these three umbrellas. Understanding which umbrella you’re under will not only help you answer the burning question at hand, but it will also give you clues into how to find the sunshine again, or at least enjoy the rain while you’re in it.

“WHY ME?”

Because the enemy is real.

Whether we like it or not, we live in a fallen world. Sin is real. Evil is real. The enemy is real. And this enemy works hard all the time to counteract all the good of Jesus, wreaking havoc all over the place. Therefore, as the Bible tells us many times, we are going to suffer – face hard times, go through tough situations, experience loss, grief, heartbreak, and everything in between. So if you’re asking “why me?” remember even though you serve a good God, there are powers of darkness in this world. Though they will never have the final victory, they still try.

In the moments when you feel overwhelmed by the enemy, I urge you to lean into the love, protection, and peace of God all the more. There is nothing and nobody too big or powerful for him. And he can turn anything around for the good.

“WHY ME?”

Because you aren’t making the best decisions.

Sometimes, the troubles and tough situations we face in life come as a result of our own poor decisions and foolish behaviors. If you aren’t actively, whole-heartedly following Jesus, walking daily in God’s will for your life – reading his Word, spending time in praise and prayer, surrounding yourself with godly community – you are going to be more susceptible to falling for the lies, tricks, and temptations this world provides.

If you find yourself in a pit of poor decisions, weighed down by the false promises of this empty world, there is still hope. God is always ready to pull you out of whatever pit you find yourself in, forgive, and give you new life.

“WHY ME?”

Because God is trying to teach you a lesson.

Often times, the situations that have us screaming “why me?” are actually orchestrated by God to provide growth through a lesson. Even if God didn’t put you in a bad situation, maybe you got there yourself (see previous point), he can use it to strengthen you and increase your dependance on him. God uses challenges, hurts, and pains for our good, his glory, and to reach other people. If we can remember this during the struggles, it will begin to change our perspective, and this change of perspective will ultimately change our answer to the question “why me?” from pity to purpose.

So, next time you find yourself asking the question “why me?” in frustration and disappointment, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions instead:

Why me?

Why has God chosen me particularly to go through this experience?

What does he want me to gain and for what reason?

What purpose is this experience going to serve in the future to benefit others and glorify God?

Thank you, God, for choosing me!

In our human world we will face hard things. But we serve a good God, so no matter the umbrella you’re under, if you turn to him, he will guide you through the rain.

Photo by Fabio Neo Amato on Unsplash