Have you ever asked the question, “Why me?”  We don’t tend to ask this when we receive something we want.  When we get something good, we think, “Why not me?”  But when things go bad, one of the first questions we tend to ask is: “Why is this happening to me?”

Perhaps you’re in a tough situation right now and are asking this very question.  Or you may know someone who’s asking this question.  Maybe you’ve just watched a movie where the main character asks the question: like Thomas Anderson (aka - Neo) in the first Matrix movie; or Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins.

A SIDE NOTE

Just as a side note, if you don’t already know, I like watching movies and television shows and relating them to real-life experiences.  Even more so, I love looking at movies through the lens of the Bible - using the media as a sort of modern-day parable to help illuminate the human condition and the reality of God.

A LOOK AT JOSEPH

I have always loved the story of Joseph (Genesis).  Here’s a quick synopsis of his life.

He was a dreamer - although he didn’t fully understand his dreams when he was young.  But his dreams -though great - became an area of contention for his family.  Things got so bad, that his brothers sold him into slavery to Egypt.

Fast forward years… Joseph has been falsely accused by his Master’s wife and forgotten in prison.  He’s run the gambit of emotions, I’m sure wondering why God has allowed all of this misfortune to happen to him.

FROM PAIN TO GAIN

Yet, the day comes when the door of opportunity opens to him and he goes from the prisoner to governer of Egypt.  The dreams God has placed within him finally begin to manifest.

Years later, when Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt because of a severe famine in the land, they kneel before him - not knowing that he is their brother.  But he recognizes them and his emotions run hard.  But instead of getting even, he blesses them and eventually reveals his true identity to them.  When he finally does this, they are afraid… very afraid.

However, his response basically was, “Don’t be afraid.  God sent me forth to preserve life.”  Joseph could look back on all that happened and see how everything he went through, that was beyond his control, was for a purpose… to preserve the life of others.  The dreams God had placed within him had finally come to pass.  The path was terribly difficult, but things worked out.

CAN ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD?

This makes me think about Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

The evidence is all around us. We are surrounded by countless stories of individuals who have been through tumultuous times that almost destroyed them - only to come out on the other side with a testimony of great victory: Christian and non-Christian - fiction and non-fiction - from Batman or Billy Graham and all in between.  Somehow these stories give us a sense of hope. 

God can work through many different kinds of situations and desires to draw all people closer to Him.  It doesn’t just have to be the happy moments. 

What others mean for evil towards you… God can take it and turn it around for your good. When something happens to you that is beyond your control and you ask “Why me?” - realize that God is working behind the scenes to bring about a greater impact in your life and the lives of others.

If you want to read more of the true account of the life of Joseph, take a look at Genesis 37-48.