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What Job’s Story Reveals About Therapy Culture

And why God is the answer

Trudi Griffin
Koinonia
6 min readOct 21, 2024

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

The story of Job is so famous that even non-believers know the basics. Most people miss the point of the story. Instead, they focus on questions like, how could God be so cruel? How could God let Satan torture this man? That’s not the point.

Charles Spurgeon, in “Spiritual Warfare in a Believer’s Life,” summarizes the whole experience completely differently:

“…Job’s afflictions and patience have been a lasting blessing to the church and inflicted incredible disgrace upon Satan…How many saints have been comforted in their distress by this history of patience!” (Spurgeon, p. 68)

In other words, the story of Job gives everyone the life hack for overcoming hardship, suffering, and pain.

Job’s therapists

When Job loses everything, three friends come to his aid. At first, they just sit with him for seven days. A comforting presence amidst the pain and suffering. Then they start talking.

The first is Eliphaz. Eliphaz gives Job advice, telling him that he’s figured out God, and the reason for his affliction is his sin. It was a cause-and-effect thing for him. You sinned, therefore, you must appeal to God. Job didn’t buy it.

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Koinonia
Koinonia

Published in Koinonia

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Trudi Griffin
Trudi Griffin

Written by Trudi Griffin

ACFW Genesis Semifinalist. Writing light in the darkness. Devoted to Jesus. Wife of a warrior. Small business owner. tenshimadeshop.etsy.com

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