As Christians, we believe at times that God deals with us on a strictly cause and effect basis. When we endeavor to help people with their struggles with this mentality, it will be just like blowing hot air.

Job’s friends counseled him that if he stops sinning his trials would be removed. In actuality, his righteousness is what brought on his troubles (Job 1:6-10 NLT). In the big picture we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7 NLT), yet, in the details of your life, you sometimes reap what you do not sow, and what you sow you do not reap. Read what the Psalmist says in Psalm 73 about the righteous and the unrighteous. Life is more complex than a simple cause and effect relationships.

We are never prepared to counsel someone until we have heard the agony of their heart. Job’s friends made the basic error that we all make at times, they spoke too much and listened too little. Listening to someone’s grief can be the most effective therapy. Speaking too much is an indication that we feel like we have it all the answers, which ultimately, only God knows. Job’s friends spoke things that are generally true but did not apply to Job’s particular situation. Anytime we think we have all the answers, it shows we have very few.

Let a person talk and they will generally tell you the answer to their problems. Job was a righteous man, but he did need some correction, as we all do. Job admits that he has been talking about things far to wonderful for him to understand (Job 42:3 NLT). Job says, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:5-6 NLT). Suffering opens our eyes to see God, repentance follows, and all our solutions start to fall into place.

Stop blowing hot air with all our solutions and point them to God who is the solution.