“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
-John 15:18-20
Based on Jesus’ words, I’d add suffering to Franklin’s list, minimally. Over the years, the Holy Spirit has had me communicate Biblical truth regarding suffering as often as almost any other topic. Why? My guess is that it’s pervasive in our lives and it’s also something we believers must learn to cope with, given the certainty of it. We must resign ourselves to the fact that we will suffer. Persecution is only one way this happens, however. We may instead be sickly, struggling with sin or past mistakes, fighting poverty – the list goes on. The point I’m getting at remains the same:
Accepting inescapable truths in our lives is key to peace and happiness. Paul wrote:
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
-Romans 5:3-5
Those who fail to accept their lot in life (the one which God has given them) are the ones who often ask, “Why me?” I could take this time to give a stock pastoral answer…maybe something like, “Just accept God’s will even when you can’t understand it.” While this is absolutely true and something I’ve taught ad nauseam from my pulpit, it’s not the point of this blog. Today, I want to suggest a strategy that I’ve used in my own life.
Instead of asking “Why me?”, ask “Why not me?”
This one strategy can save you from a lifetime of misery. “Why me?” is a defeatist attitude. Where, pray tell, do you go from there? It’s a dead end, a defensive posture, and a primary source of depression. You’ve already conceded defeat. Is this what God our Savior wants for us?
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
-1 John 5:1-5
According to Holy Scripture we are overcomers, co-victors with the One who saved us, namely Jesus Christ. The “Why me?” perspective doesn’t fit into our destiny and if held too long becomes cancerous to our peace. Our enemies love pity parties because they perpetuate our bondage to poor perspective, which has a bad habit of spiraling downward all the way to depression and even death at times. “Why not me?” is what fits into our life in Christ.
“Why me?” is life in darkness. “Why not me?” is life in the Light. The prior is oppressive, tyrannical, and spiritually degrading; the latter is freeing, expressive, and inviting.
Life is good to the one who meets adversity with a “Why not me?” attitude. It’s a simple choice, really. You may just need a little rewiring to get started. Here’s some encouragement for you:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
-Ephesians 2:4-7
If you’re going to ask, “Why me?”, the more appropriate question to ask God is why He chose to save you, of all people. Since He did choose you and predestined you to a life in Christ, instead ask, “Why not me?”, the next time you feel like complaining.
They say old habits are hard to break. Among the oldest I’ve seen is the “Why me?” trap. The beautiful thing about perspective is that, with a little help, it can be changed in an instant, as quick as flipping a light switch, going from darkness to light.
Go ahead, my friend, and flip the switch…life is too short to spend another moment being squashed by something you have the power to change right now.
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
