If you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent . . . you will stand firm without fear. (Job 11:14,15)Job's friend Zophar probably meant well and genuinely cared for his friend. We can forgive his ignorance in that he was simply going along with accepted understandings of how things worked. Again, popular thought said: Do right and you'll prosper; do wrong and you'll suffer. Obviously since so many things were going wrong for Job, he must have done something really bad.
Zophar and the others couldn't conceive of a righteous man suffering the way Job was. They saw his pain and wanted it to stop. They were doing what they thought was best. If they could get Job to confess his sin and abandon his claims of innocence, then his life and fortunes could be restored.
Maybe you've experienced the pain of well-meaning friends adding insult to injury in their awkward attempts to minister to you in a time of suffering. How many platitudes and cliches have been offered grieving parents at the loss of a child, or to a friend who's been diagnosed with cancer. Statements like: Take comfort that this is God's will, or If you just confess the sin in your life God will heal you, don't do anyone any good.
Let's not inflict further pain with careless words.
What would you say to a hurting friend?
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