We encounter many things in life that leave us scratching our heads and looking for answers. “Why did this happen? How could God do this to me?” In moments of despair and utter darkness, we question God and our own faiths. Are we living in chaos, in a world with no order where random things happen for no reason at all? Whether the events occur in our world or the world around us, we face crises of faith that leave us debilitated and feeling helpless.

When we encounter something life-changing, something we perceive to be tragic and unwanted, before doing anything, we must gather ourselves and nail down three pieces of knowledge from Romans 11:36. First, all things come from Him. The crisis we face is not a random act with no beginning, middle, or end; it comes from God. He has created it. Second, all things go through Him. The event will run its course, taking turns here and there, according to His plan. Third, all things return to Him. The crisis is not perpetual and timeless. It is measured and timed by God, and at the moment He deems appropriate, it will end. So before we embark on any course of action, we must acknowledge these three pieces of knowledge, make it our own, and use it as an anchor when moving to action.

After we have cerebrally and spiritually accepted these three facts, we can move to the next three stages. The first stage is giving thanks. Good or bad, tragic or uplifting, we must give thanks to God and be grateful, which is hard to do when we face an event that has uprooted our lives and made us weep. However, we cannot move to the second or third stage without being thankful in the most sincere way. In other words, we might be saying, “Thank you, God” but tuck away in the dark corners of our consciousness pockets of denial, anger, and mistrust.

In the next stage, examine the path leading to the so-called crisis. Were you living a good life in the eyes of God? Were you keeping His commandments? If you find anything that upsets God or goes against the values of being a Christian, repent. Search and repent. Search and repent again and again. Examine your life meticulously and repent. Be on the safe side and audit every nook and cranny of your actions and thoughts leading up to the crisis. Of course, what you may or may not have done did not bring on this crisis, but it is a good opportunity to reexamine your life.

Move to action in the final stage. Search for the will of God and execute His will. Ask yourself, “What does God want me to do right now? What is His will?” When you find His will, be diligent and steadfast. While continuously examining- being thankful and repenting- be proactive in discerning His will and moving all your religious resolve to action. In this stage, we are constantly seeking and acting.

When we encounter difficult events in life, remember all things come from God, go through God, and return to God. Be thankful. Thank God for giving you this present in life! Then, examine your life leading up to the event. Repent if you have done something wrong. Finally, find the will of God and execute. Regardless of how tragic or heartbreaking the situation, God has a plan, and if we do these six things, we can thrive, and our collection of tomorrows will be better than today.

Summary:
Knowledge to Embrace
1. All things come from God
2. Go through God
3. Return to God

Our Task
1. Be thankful
2. Repent
3. Find His will and act

[Based on the sermon given on May 28, 1989 AM)

Click here for original sermon in Korean