Category: Solomon Says

Recently, I asked how one becomes a different person and answered that one becomes different by acting differently, as opposed to wishing to be different. Of course, people tend to assume one would only act differently if one wished to do so. But that is not necessarily true. People sometimes act in ways that will lead them to become someone that they do NOT want to become. A person who overindulges in alcoholic beverages often does not want to become an alcoholic. But such repeated overindulgence leads there no matter what he desires.

Another instance of behavior leading a person to becoming different apart from his desire to change is child-rearing. Parents have goals for their children’s character and require various behaviors of them in the hope that it will bring about that change. This often starts long before the child has any idea that adulthood lies in his future or that he is developing into a character that will be partly determined in the present.

In my book, Solomon Says (Athanasius), I point out that godly living can be improved with practice. In that way it is like an athletic sport. As the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil…

The book of Job can be read as an address on “The Problem of Evil.” Job can be interpreted as Everyman and his situation as a picture of the human condition. Job’s three “friends” insist that his extreme suffering indicates extreme sin in Job’s life and tell him he must admit this or else he is accusing God of being unjust. Job refuses to acquiesce that he must be guilty of wrongdoing. Yet, he does not “curse God” either, as his wife tempted him to do (Job 2:5, 9-10).

Ultimately, God answers Job in a series of questions that he can’t answer and he confesses as much.

A few weeks ago, a young man (I will call him “Martin”) told me he went to church on Sunday morning. Martin hadn’t initially planned to do so. In the age of lockdown and pandemic panic, it has become easy to “attend” church online. This individual was young, strong, healthy, and did not have much fear of Covid-19. But he did have an inclination to stay in his room and in his pajamas all morning. So Martin “went” online to watch the service at the church in another state—a church in which he had been raised.

As it happened that particular Sunday, the sermon was focused on the importance and blessing of local Christian community and worship. That message affected Martin so that he got dressed, left his room, and went to his local church service.

Where he was tormented by a bad sermon.

Whether Martin was right or wrong about the sermon is something that I will leave aside. The way he described it, I tended to agree with him. Maybe you would not. Or maybe his description was inaccurate. But assume for the moment that Martin was correct: What should I tell him? What do you tell someone who obeys God and, because of that obedient deed, has a horrible experience?

The words came out of my mouth before I could think to stop myself:

“Martin, God often punishes us for obeying him.”