<description>&lt;p&gt;This may come as no surprise. If it does, then perhaps it is time to wake up to a humbling truth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You are not the main character!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That sentence sounds harsh at first. Our culture trains us to believe the opposite. Every story centers on personal fulfillment. Every setback is supposed to be a stepping stone toward something greater. Every closed door must mean a better one is waiting.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But life does not always work that way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And Scripture never promised that it would.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A Memory From the Summer of 2016&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Back in the summer of 2016, I had the privilege of playing on my high school’s men’s volleyball team. Where I grew up the sports community was relatively small. Most of us rotated between the same sports depending on the season. Volleyball, basketball, football (soccer for my American friends), and cricket.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The same group of guys often played all of them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That year our volleyball team made it into a qualifying tournament that could lead to regional selection. Some players would be chosen from our school team to represent the region and possibly move toward national competition.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For us, this was huge.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We trained for hours with the limited resources we had. Afternoons after school turned into late evenings. Some weekends were spent practicing as well. Our coach began making encouraging remarks about my chances of being selected.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What made it even more meaningful was that I had only recently transitioned from basketball to volleyball. It required adjustment. Different movements. Different instincts. Different teamwork. Thankfully, my teammates helped me grow into the game.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Months of training finally led to game week.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We played on back to back days and made it to the final qualifier match. The final game was scheduled on a Sunday during a large public celebration. The venue was expected to be packed. Sponsors would be there. Food vendors would be there.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And yes, scouts would be there.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I was thrilled.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But underneath the excitement was another feeling. A quiet disappointment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I had not told my parents much about the games. They had never attended any of them, and volleyball simply was not seen as something serious in our home. To them it was just a sport I enjoyed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In fairness to them, culturally it was not expected that parents attend sporting events or assume these things would lead anywhere significant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But the final match was on Sunday.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And in our home, Sunday meant assembling with the saints.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;No exceptions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To summarize what followed, I did not play in that game. The opportunity passed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Lesson That Stayed With Me&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Looking back now, one thought comes to mind.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You are not the main character.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Life brings missed opportunities, unanswered prayers, disappointments, broken relationships, strained friendships, grief, and loss.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When those moments arrive, we naturally want explanations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We want reasons.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We want reassurance that something better is coming.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And often, this is where bad theology quietly slips in.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Theology of Comforting Clichés&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you have spent time around Christian circles, you have likely heard statements like these:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“God needed another angel.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“God closed that door because something better is coming.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“God knows what is best.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Most of these statements are spoken with sincere intentions. People want to comfort someone who is hurting. They want to help the pain make sense.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But good intentions do not always produce sound theology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many of these sayings are not found anywhere in Scripture. Some even contradict what the Bible actually teaches.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;God does not turn people into angels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scripture never says suffering is assigned based on spiritual strength.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Bible never promises that every missed opportunity will be replaced with something better in this life.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes things simply hurt.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes prayers are not answered the way we hoped.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes opportunities pass and never return.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trying to attach confident explanations to every hardship can distort our understanding of God. In many cases we are not defending God’s wisdom. We are trying to soothe our discomfort with uncertainty.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scripture does not always give us explanations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Often it gives us something better.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It gives us perspective!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scripture Does Not Hide Disappointment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Consider a few moments from the lives of faithful people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Moses led Israel for decades, yet he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;The LORD said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.’&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;Deuteronomy 34:4 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. The answer he received was not relief but grace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane expressed the weight of suffering before submitting to the Father’s will.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;Matthew 26:39 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;None of these moments were explained away with spiritual clichés.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They were moments of surrender.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When We Stop Making Ourselves the Center&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sometimes the deeper issue is this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We quietly assume that our lives are supposed to reach some kind of climactic fulfillment. A moment where everything makes sense. A story where every hardship eventually reveals a perfect reason.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But Scripture does not frame life that way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Solomon wrote,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;Ecclesiastes 12:13 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jeremiah confessed,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;Jeremiah 10:23 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jesus reminded His listeners that all Scripture ultimately pointed to Him.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;It is these that testify about Me.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;John 5:39 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The story of Scripture is not centered on human fulfillment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It is centered on God!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;So What Do We Do With Disappointment?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;* We stop pretending that every hardship comes with a tidy explanation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;* We stop forcing theological conclusions that Scripture never makes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;* We stop assuming our lives are supposed to unfold like a carefully scripted story.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instead, we do something far more difficult and far more faithful.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We trust God.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even when we do not understand.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even when opportunities pass.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Even when the answer never comes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Christian hope is not that everything will make sense now.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Christian hope is that God will make everything right later.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Paul reminds us that creation itself is waiting for that day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;The creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(&lt;strong&gt;Romans 8:21 NASB&lt;/strong&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That is the promise.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not perfect explanations now.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Perfect restoration later.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A Final Thought&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The most freeing realization in the Christian life may be this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You are not the main character.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;God is.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And strangely enough, once that truth settles into the heart, disappointment loses much of its power.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because the story was never about us in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If This Reflection Encouraged You&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If writings like this help you think more deeply about Scripture and faith, thank you for reading and sharing them with others.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And if you feel moved to support the work behind these reflections, you can do so through my &lt;a target="_blank" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/journeywithjesus"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Buy Me a Coffee&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; page. Your encouragement helps make it possible to keep writing, studying, and sharing these conversations about faith and life.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Either way, thank you for being here! ❤️&lt;/p&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Get full access to Journey With Jesus at &lt;a href="https://singhjonathan78.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&amp;#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4"&gt;singhjonathan78.substack.com/subscribe&lt;/a&gt;</description>

Journey With Jesus Podcast

Jonny Singh

Why Christians Need to Stop Explaining Every Hard Thing

MAR 14, 20269 MIN
Journey With Jesus Podcast

Why Christians Need to Stop Explaining Every Hard Thing

MAR 14, 20269 MIN

Description

<p>This may come as no surprise. If it does, then perhaps it is time to wake up to a humbling truth.</p><p><strong>You are not the main character!</strong></p><p>That sentence sounds harsh at first. Our culture trains us to believe the opposite. Every story centers on personal fulfillment. Every setback is supposed to be a stepping stone toward something greater. Every closed door must mean a better one is waiting.</p><p>But life does not always work that way.</p><p>And Scripture never promised that it would.</p><p><strong>A Memory From the Summer of 2016</strong></p><p>Back in the summer of 2016, I had the privilege of playing on my high school’s men’s volleyball team. Where I grew up the sports community was relatively small. Most of us rotated between the same sports depending on the season. Volleyball, basketball, football (soccer for my American friends), and cricket.</p><p>The same group of guys often played all of them.</p><p>That year our volleyball team made it into a qualifying tournament that could lead to regional selection. Some players would be chosen from our school team to represent the region and possibly move toward national competition.</p><p>For us, this was huge.</p><p>We trained for hours with the limited resources we had. Afternoons after school turned into late evenings. Some weekends were spent practicing as well. Our coach began making encouraging remarks about my chances of being selected.</p><p>What made it even more meaningful was that I had only recently transitioned from basketball to volleyball. It required adjustment. Different movements. Different instincts. Different teamwork. Thankfully, my teammates helped me grow into the game.</p><p>Months of training finally led to game week.</p><p>We played on back to back days and made it to the final qualifier match. The final game was scheduled on a Sunday during a large public celebration. The venue was expected to be packed. Sponsors would be there. Food vendors would be there.</p><p>And yes, scouts would be there.</p><p>I was thrilled.</p><p>But underneath the excitement was another feeling. A quiet disappointment.</p><p>I had not told my parents much about the games. They had never attended any of them, and volleyball simply was not seen as something serious in our home. To them it was just a sport I enjoyed.</p><p>In fairness to them, culturally it was not expected that parents attend sporting events or assume these things would lead anywhere significant.</p><p>But the final match was on Sunday.</p><p>And in our home, Sunday meant assembling with the saints.</p><p>No exceptions.</p><p>To summarize what followed, I did not play in that game. The opportunity passed.</p><p><strong>The Lesson That Stayed With Me</strong></p><p>Looking back now, one thought comes to mind.</p><p><strong>You are not the main character.</strong></p><p>Life brings missed opportunities, unanswered prayers, disappointments, broken relationships, strained friendships, grief, and loss.</p><p>When those moments arrive, we naturally want explanations.</p><p>We want reasons.</p><p>We want reassurance that something better is coming.</p><p>And often, this is where bad theology quietly slips in.</p><p><strong>The Theology of Comforting Clichés</strong></p><p>If you have spent time around Christian circles, you have likely heard statements like these:</p><p>“God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers.”</p><p>“God needed another angel.”</p><p>“God closed that door because something better is coming.”</p><p>“God knows what is best.”</p><p>Most of these statements are spoken with sincere intentions. People want to comfort someone who is hurting. They want to help the pain make sense.</p><p>But good intentions do not always produce sound theology.</p><p>Many of these sayings are not found anywhere in Scripture. Some even contradict what the Bible actually teaches.</p><p>God does not turn people into angels.</p><p>Scripture never says suffering is assigned based on spiritual strength.</p><p>The Bible never promises that every missed opportunity will be replaced with something better in this life.</p><p>Sometimes things simply hurt.</p><p>Sometimes prayers are not answered the way we hoped.</p><p>Sometimes opportunities pass and never return.</p><p>Trying to attach confident explanations to every hardship can distort our understanding of God. In many cases we are not defending God’s wisdom. We are trying to soothe our discomfort with uncertainty.</p><p>Scripture does not always give us explanations.</p><p>Often it gives us something better.</p><p><strong>It gives us perspective!</strong></p><p><strong>Scripture Does Not Hide Disappointment</strong></p><p>Consider a few moments from the lives of faithful people.</p><p>Moses led Israel for decades, yet he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.</p><p>“<strong>The LORD said to him, ‘This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob… I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.’</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>Deuteronomy 34:4 NASB</strong>)</p><p>Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. The answer he received was not relief but grace.</p><p>“<strong>My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB</strong>)</p><p>Even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane expressed the weight of suffering before submitting to the Father’s will.</p><p>“<strong>My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>Matthew 26:39 NASB</strong>)</p><p>None of these moments were explained away with spiritual clichés.</p><p>They were moments of surrender.</p><p><strong>When We Stop Making Ourselves the Center</strong></p><p>Sometimes the deeper issue is this.</p><p>We quietly assume that our lives are supposed to reach some kind of climactic fulfillment. A moment where everything makes sense. A story where every hardship eventually reveals a perfect reason.</p><p>But Scripture does not frame life that way.</p><p>Solomon wrote,</p><p>“<strong>The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>Ecclesiastes 12:13 NASB</strong>)</p><p>Jeremiah confessed,</p><p>“<strong>I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>Jeremiah 10:23 NASB</strong>)</p><p>Jesus reminded His listeners that all Scripture ultimately pointed to Him.</p><p>“<strong>It is these that testify about Me.</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>John 5:39 NASB</strong>)</p><p>The story of Scripture is not centered on human fulfillment.</p><p><strong>It is centered on God!</strong></p><p><strong>So What Do We Do With Disappointment?</strong></p><p>* We stop pretending that every hardship comes with a tidy explanation.</p><p>* We stop forcing theological conclusions that Scripture never makes.</p><p>* We stop assuming our lives are supposed to unfold like a carefully scripted story.</p><p>Instead, we do something far more difficult and far more faithful.</p><p><strong>We trust God.</strong></p><p>Even when we do not understand.</p><p>Even when opportunities pass.</p><p>Even when the answer never comes.</p><p>The Christian hope is not that everything will make sense now.</p><p>The Christian hope is that God will make everything right later.</p><p>Paul reminds us that creation itself is waiting for that day.</p><p>“<strong>The creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.</strong>”</p><p>(<strong>Romans 8:21 NASB</strong>)</p><p>That is the promise.</p><p>Not perfect explanations now.</p><p><strong>Perfect restoration later.</strong></p><p><strong>A Final Thought</strong></p><p>The most freeing realization in the Christian life may be this.</p><p><strong>You are not the main character.</strong></p><p><strong>God is.</strong></p><p>And strangely enough, once that truth settles into the heart, disappointment loses much of its power.</p><p>Because the story was never about us in the first place.</p><p><strong>If This Reflection Encouraged You</strong></p><p>If writings like this help you think more deeply about Scripture and faith, thank you for reading and sharing them with others.</p><p>And if you feel moved to support the work behind these reflections, you can do so through my <a target="_blank" href="https://buymeacoffee.com/journeywithjesus"><strong>Buy Me a Coffee</strong></a> page. Your encouragement helps make it possible to keep writing, studying, and sharing these conversations about faith and life.</p><p>Either way, thank you for being here! ❤️</p> <br/><br/>Get full access to Journey With Jesus at <a href="https://singhjonathan78.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4">singhjonathan78.substack.com/subscribe</a>