Living In A Broken World

Living In A Broken World

Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. –Romans 8:20-21

Many people have asked David and me if we believe God “chose” us to have two children with a fatal syndrome, sometimes adding that they believe “God knows whom he can trust with these things.” But that has never rung true with me. All I have to do is look around and I realize that human suffering surrounds me—regardless of whether or not those who suffer are people of faith.

While we firmly believe that nothing comes into our lives that does not pass through the sovereign hands of God, we don’t believe that God picked us out for this. The fact that we have had two children with this fatal syndrome is the natural result of two parents who have the genetic predisposition for it. We live in a world where sin has taken root and corrupted everything—even our genetic code.

Death, disease, destruction—much of the evil that happens in this world, in your world, in my world—are the results of living in a world that is under a curse. And so some of the suffering that you and I experience is the natural result of living in a fallen, broken world. Faith does not insulate us from this. Romans 5:12 helps us understand: “When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

This world is broken, and we regularly experience that brokenness in the form of suffering. So we should expect natural disasters, deadly viruses, defective genes—because this world is broken and will continue to be broken until the return of Christ. He will usher in a new era with a new heaven and a new earth that is no longer cursed like the one we are living in now. In your search for a cause for your suffering, could it be simply that the brokenness of this world has touched you personally and painfully?

Creator, I believe that you made this world good and that humanity’s choice to sin has corrupted that perfection. Sometimes I hate living in this world of suffering and brokenness. I long for the day when you break the curse and set everything right. Come, Lord Jesus!

DIGGING DEEPER