Most of us have used this two word phrase as a question and as a exclamation at some time in life. It can mean that you are happy or upset based upon the inflection in your voice and the attitude of your heart. I have used it both ways. After experiencing an unbelievable blessing I have used the phrase in amazement, "Why me!!!" I didn't really care in that case because I was just happy I received a blessing. I didn't need to understand. Then there is the agonizing use of the phrase..."why me?" This is usually when we search for some understanding.
When we ponder the "why" it gets confusing. Often the negative "why Me's" in my life came after I made some dumb decision, a bad choice. I set into motion the principle of sowing and reaping and I didn't like the harvest from my actions. Then there have been the wonderful times of reaping good things and I didn't know why. Why me! I realize that by now you are getting dizzy trying to follow all this. I want to point out two important parts of this deliberation. First, the principle of God's grace comes into view. There is a sovereign working of God in our lives that is always leading us toward His highest and best. At times that "best" seems to our understanding as wonderful and it is easily embraced. At other times that "best" seems to be negative or painful and we don't want to have anything to do with it. All these things, regardless of how they feel to us, if surrendered to God in faith result in our good, our edification in time. The older I get the more I come to believe that God does not want to be complicated to us. He wants to make our approach to Him as easy as possible. Yet, God and His purposes are much more complex than we can possibly comprehend. The second thing that is critical to our success is that we must choose ahead of time, even now, that we will trust that He is working things out only to our good in line with His ultimate plan for our lives. It is impossible for us in our finite understanding to fully comprehend the plan of the infinite wisdom of our loving God.
Understanding can be the Lord and Master of our lives. When understanding rules, we live very limited lives. We might be saved and going to heaven but lives here on earth can be restricted to what we can understand rather than what we can believe. Jesus was addressing this dilemma in Matthew 19:26 "But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” When Mary was confronted with the Truth that she would be the one chosen to bring forth the birth of Jesus she didn't understand but she responded with, "be it unto me according to your Word." May God grant us grace to live by faith beyond our understanding.
