"It is what it is" II

I had another thought …. how does this phrase relate to the sovereignty of God?

Does the sovereignty of God mean that God is the author of "what it is"? If God is sovereign, and therefore in control, then He must want "what it is". We have a strong reaction against this idea, especially when "what it is" is pretty terrible. How can we see God as good and loving if He wants something so terrible?

You know the next thought right? God's sovereignty does not mean that He is the author, it only means that He allows it. But does it really make a difference if God allows the terrible thing instead of being the author of it? Sovereignty still means that He is ultimately responsible for the terrible thing because sovereignty means that it does not have to be the way it is. This is true, but I think it does make a difference.

One difference is how God feels about "what it is". If God is the author, then it is what He wants, and therefore He must not be upset about it like we are. Indeed, the phrase can be an expression of a form of stoic acceptance that chooses not to be upset by the circumstances. And this could be viewed as sharing God's perspective on the situation.

But a God who allows tragedy can still be upset by it. There is the idea that there are forces that oppose God, human will and Satan, that create situations that He allows, but are still very upsetting to Him. Jesus shows us this when He weeps over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44). The destruction of Jerusalem is a tragic event that God allows in His sovereignty. You could even say that it is His will. But it is still very upsetting to Jesus.

I think this is really important for how we are able to relate to God in the midst of hard circumstances. We do not have to deny how those circumstances make us feel in order to be on the same page as the God who has allowed them. We can find great comfort in the truth that God is with us in our emotional distress. Even though He has a perspective on the situation that has allowed the suffering for reasons that we cannot see, His emotional response to the situation is fueled more by our suffering than His divine perspective.

Another place where Jesus weeps, at the tomb of Lazarus, illustrates this dynamic. Jesus is a part of orchestrating this tragedy when He delays in responding to the news that Lazarus is sick. At the tomb, He knows that in a few minutes He will bring Lazarus back from the dead and everyone who is currently sad will be overjoyed. From His divine perspective on what is going to happen, there is no need for people to be so sad. Yet, His weeping shows that He is affected by their grief. That is a radical identification with human grief.

The sovereignty of God that allows "what it is" does not call for stoicism because God is moved as we are by suffering. So the next time you find yourself saying, "It is what it is", meditate on the idea that God is feeling whatever emotions you are feeling about the situation. What is the fruit of that?