a great perspective

the pastor from my home church just started blogging, and i read what i think was his first entry. it's got a lot of relevance to my life right now, and i think it's a fabulous read, a great perspective:

Bob Flayhart writes: I was reading in the book of Job yesterday...when we face incredible pain and suffering, why is it that our default perspective is that we must have done something to tick God off? And why is our second thought often, "What do I need to do or how do I need to change that will get me out of this fix?" We're so often just like Job's friends...we still hold to a theology that says if we're good, we will prosper and be comfortable, and if we're struggling it must be due to sin. We just can't seem to handle a God that is so big that He might actually make suffering part of the plan to soften us toward others and transform us internally and help us to hunger for Him more. It is in times of pain and suffering that our true belief (or unbelief!) in the gospel is revealed. Its easy to say we believe in the truth of grace when things are going well...but do we really take our stand in Christ's righteousness when our worlds are coming apart? How often are we like the disciples: "Jesus, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"