In Letters to an American Lady, C. S. Lewis wrote, “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us: we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” Do I hear an “Amen”?

Some unrealistic expectations contaminated my early faith in Jesus. Because the Bible says the Lord goes before me and behind me and lays His hand upon me (Ps. 139:5), I thought He surely shielded those who walked with Him from pain.

When I bought my first car, I even wondered why God’s children needed car insurance. Doesn’t God take care of us? In the span of a couple of years, my car was in three accidents. None of them were my fault. Twice it was stopped or parked where it was supposed to be. But I had to pay each time. My heavenly Father took care of me, not by sparing me of aggravation, but by teaching me how to walk with Him through the disappointments of an unfair world.

Working as a counselor, I learned it’s not uncommon for Christians to be confused over their painful circumstances. They wonder how their losses could have happened when they’d honored God with good lives. Was there something wrong with them—or with God?Continue Reading