Job 2: So Hard To Watch

I can’t even imagine watching a friend walk through something that devastating. Just picturing it makes my stomach turn. The grief. The shock. The helplessness of knowing there is nothing you can do to fix any of it. “When they could see Job from far away, they did not easily recognize him…”Job 2:12–13 (EASY)

That day, Job’s friends did the most loving thing they could do in that moment—they were with him.

That’s how I feel when people I love are walking through things I don’t have answers for. I am a problem solver by nature, so my first instinct is often, “What should we do about this?” Experience has taught me that far too many times, that isn’t what’s needed at all. Most people don’t need solutions. They need compassion, prayers, love, and presence.

It reminds me of Jesus’ words in the New Testament: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” John 8:7. Often the best thing I can do is put away my opinions and explanations and simply love people well in their suffering.

That kind of response requires restraint and empathy. It reflects the heart of God far more than perfectly chosen words or neatly packaged solutions ever could. Who in my life needs me to be with them, not fix them?

Sadly, in my younger years—especially early in my marriage—my first response was often, and honestly this is hard to admit, “What did you do to deserve that?” Yikes...not who I want to be at all.