HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, June 4, 2025 – If we asked him, do you think God would describe any of us as “perfect and upright”, as he described Job?

I’m guessing not.

So, if God wouldn’t describe us the same way as he described Job, why would we draw a parallel between Job’s sufferings and ours?

I’ve had discussions over the years with people who for one reason or another are particularly drawn to the book of Job. They see their sufferings mirrored in Job’s and so see the reason for their sufferings as being the same as Job’s. In other words, they believe their sufferings were not earned but instead imposed on them for reasons unknown. In other words, they see themselves as innocent.

This is a very dangerous position to adopt spiritually. As born-again believers, we can never afford to presume our innocence: the presumption of innocence is a worldly default and mechanism that has no place in the Kingdom. We need to default to repentance when we suffer adversity, though there are also occasions when we’re being tested (God will let us know the one from the other). But regardless of whether we suffer an earned punishment or a test, our response should always be the same – humble obedience to God, and patient endurance

On the other hand, had he been asked about Jesus during his time on Earth, God would likely have described him as perfect and upright. God did come pretty close to offering that description when he stated he was “well pleased” in Jesus and that we should “listen to him”. Still, God also allowed Jesus to suffer extreme adversities as tests, culminating in his crucifixion. What Jesus never suffered—what sets him apart from every other human being—is earned adversity. Jesus didn’t earn his suffering. He agreed to it, but he didn’t earn it. This contrasts with the rest of us, who either suffer because we’ve brought the suffering on ourselves or suffer from being tested.

The danger in the book of Job is that people perceive their suffering as paralleling Job’s, without taking into account that they’re not perfect and upright as Job was. By falsely equating themselves to Job, people look past their need to repent, focusing instead on their perceived innocence. The result is not only a lost opportunity to come clean with God, but a prolonging of their suffering, which is then made worse by the pride of false innocence. In denying their guilt, they deny themselves the grace of peace that can only come from genuine repentance.

Self-imposed suffering is a painful place to be. To avoid it, we need always to be ready and willing to repent.