They’re Watching You

By Grant Gaines

Over 100,000 Americans are currently on a waiting list waiting for an organ. Whether it is through an unhealthy pattern of living such as smoking and drinking alcohol or simply a body’s natural deterioration, these 100,000 patients wait patiently for a solution.

And that’s where an organ transplant comes into play. Through God’s grace and modern medicine, a healthy organ from a different human being can be transplanted into these patients body so that they can return to functioning properly.

But there is a peculiar irony about organ transplants that can’t be overlooked—a perfectly healthy person that has no trouble with their organs must undergo a painful procedure in order for the dying patient to regain life.

And while some donors have the privilege to see the patient they blessed because of their generous organ donation, the majority of donors will go through the painful process without ever knowing who benefited from their sacrifice.

I think that is a pretty good description of the trials that we go through in our own lives. Often times we think that the trials God allows us to go through are for one of three reasons:

For us to learn from
For us to grow in our faith
Or to be disciplined for an act of disobedience

And while all of these three reasons are certainly accurate, I believe the Bible offers one more reason for the sufferings that we go through—for the benefit of others. Need some examples? Let’s take a look at some of the popular stories we have heard all of our lives from the book of Daniel.

Of course you have heard of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their refusal to worship the idol that King Nebuchadnezzar made which landed them in a fiery situation—literally. And as you’ll recall, God delivered the three faithful men as He allowed them to escape the flames unscathed (Daniel 3:24-27). But as this chapter comes to a close, the attention of the story is not on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who just underwent an incredible trial, but rather King Nebuchadnezzar who was so moved by this displayof God’s power that he commanded, “Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!” (Daniel 3:29, NLT).

Maybe it’s just me, but the way God chose to end that story seems to indicate that the trial was not for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego but rather for King Nebuchadnezzar and the nation of Babylon.

Or take the story of Daniel and the lion’s den as another example. Daniel, of course, was thrown into a den of hungry lions because he remained faithful to God even when it was against the cultural norms, the popular opinions, and even the law of King Darius to do so. However, the Lord protected Daniel by shutting the mouths of the lions and allowed Daniel to escape the lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-23).

But once again, as was the case in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s story, as Daniel 6 concludes we don’t get an update on Daniel’s thoughts but rather on the radical transformation that took place in King Darius’ life because of the events he just witnessed.

It appears to me through the conclusion of these two stories that God is trying to get a point across—sometimes the suffering that you are going through is not simply for your own growth, but for someone else’s. Just as donating an organ requires you to go through a painful procedure for someone else’s benefit, so also the purpose of trials in your life could simply be for the benefit of someone else’s life.

Isn’t that one of the prevailing themes of Christ’s life? He went through an unimaginable amount of suffering on Calvary not for His own benefit, but for ours—“… by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NIV).

Have you ever had the strange feeling that you were being watched? Well you are—by the world. And you may not know why you are suffering, but if we learn anything from these stories it’s that we need to suffer well, in a godly manner, and in a way that glorifies Christ. Because just as the book of Daniel showed us, you can never be certain just who is watching.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?

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