When I was a boy, I learned a piece of doggerel poetry. It did not bless my mother when I would quote it, but I thought it was funny. It went like this.
Birdie, birdie in the sky
Dropped some whitewash in my eye
I’m a big boy. I don’t cry,
But I’m sure glad that cows don’t fly!
They say that in every life a little rain must fall, but you and I know that some days it seems that a herd of cattle just flew over. I love my life, but there have been times of significant difficulty.
I grew up in a house of increasing strife. My father was never home and I seldom saw him unless he woke me up to whip me. My mother, whose life growing up had been much tougher than mine, was a psychologically damaged woman who struggled over time with alcoholism. I loved her and she loved me, but life at home was not fun.
I was socially backward and immature and had no friends my own age until I got to college. I was beat up on the playground about every other week. I went away in high school to a seminary to study for the priesthood. In that timeframe, I was molested by three different priests, and then I was summarily dismissed from the seminary without explanation (even to this day.)
In 1971, I had a car wreck on my 23rd birthday. I broke my jaw and most of my front teeth. I had to work as a janitor and a bill collector to support my family. In later jobs I was denied promotions for political reasons and, in my early career, betrayed by those I trusted. I once had a president who cut my pay two years in a row in an effort to get me to leave. As a result, during that time, we lived in significant debt just to survive. My youngest son got off into drugs for 3+ years and then died at age 17 just when he had turned the corner. I lost a significant amount of money in a business deal.
I paralyzed my diaphragm resulting in a lifelong struggle to breathe and sleep. I developed an aggressive cancer that is slated (statistically) to end my life in 12-18 months. (I was originally supposed to be gone by 2009, but I survived that deadline by many years.) There have also been several significant issues too private to recount publicly, even for someone as transparent as am I. My pain has at times been significant,
but in the larger sense my life is very good. As it happens, I am among the happiest people I know and would not trade my life for that of any other human being on the planet in this or any age.
I could write a list of my blessings that would be many times longer than the list of difficulties recorded above. While God did not cause most of the issues above, He has used every one of them to cause me to be the person I am today. I would not want to go through any of them again, but, in retrospect, I would not wish that (or most) of them away. Were you to erase from my history any of the events listed above,
you would also eliminate some very important pieces of my character, my perspective and my relationship with God.
I know that my days of difficulty are not over. Some mornings I awaken to a report that a flock of cattle have been picked up on the Doppler radar and are moving in my direction at light speed, ….and they all have dysentery. Nonetheless, the experience of the past has taught me that God is good all the time and that no weapon formed against me will prosper in the long run.
Isa 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD. NASB
Turns out that a lot of what stinks in life is used by God as fertilizer for our future and eternal well-being. Let it rain! My God is my shelter in the storm!
It is important to know that, contrary to popular teaching, walking with God will not spare us from difficulty in this life. The Bible provides clear and useful information
about how to handle trouble and how God will redeem it to our advantage if we will let Him. This has been one of the more important biblical lessons in my life. I have needed it. How about you?
Jesus promised us that we, even as believers, would have tribulation (significant trouble or difficulty) in this lifetime.
John 16:33″These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” NASB
Since the fall of mankind, the world has been a broken place and, according to Paul, “subjected to futility.” It does not presently work like God designed it to work or like it will work after the coming of the Lord and the resurrection of the believers. It is full of danger and difficulty for its present inhabitants. Paul says that the difficulties of this age are not to be compared to the “glory” of the age to come.
Rom 8:18-23 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also, we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. NASB
After the Second Coming, Jesus will rule and reign in a new heaven and a new earth
which will mirror exactly the pre-fall earth of Adam and Eve. Until then we (and God) are stuck with the reality of a fallen sinful world and all of its resultant difficulties.
Isa 65:17-18 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness. NASB
Isa 66:22-23 “For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me,” declares the LORD, “so your offspring and your name will endure. 23 “And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the LORD. NASB
2 Peter 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. NASB
Rev 21:1-3 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them… NASB
John, the Apostle, who was exiled to solitary confinement on the Greek prison island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel tells us that tribulation is common to us all and builds perseverance. In John’s prophecy to his church at Smyrna, Jesus tells them they had both poverty and tribulation to overcome. He encouraged them to endure to the end so that they might inherit eternal life. He finishes up by telling all of the churches that whoever learned to overcome persecution would not ever have to fear punishment after death (aka the second death or Hell).
Rev 1:9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. NASB
Rev 2:10-11 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’ NASB
When I was younger, I did anything and everything I could to avoid difficulty, including lying my way out of trouble and avoiding any and all unpleasant situations. I avoided discipline of any kind. I did not work out and or eat sensibly and I still suffer the consequences for that. I liked school, but many children would skip it if they could get away with it. It is difficult. When one is a child, one thinks and acts like a child. Paul says that is common to mankind, but it should not be permanent.
1 Cor 13:11-12 When I was a child , I used to speak as a child , think as a child , reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. NASB
Some difficulties are toxic, deadly and unnecessary and should be avoided, if possible. Prison for felonious behavior comes to mind. We should live in such a way as to avoid it unless it is persecution for living as a Christian. However, God can redeem even these in our lives, if we will let him.
Other difficulties are necessary to survival, e.g., hard work, school, physical exercise. Then there is everything in between. The mature Christian man and woman learns how to handle difficulty to their benefit when it cannot be reasonably avoided.
As with everything else, the Bible has much to say about handling difficulty. Paul tells us that after we are born again, we can and should have peace with God, but we will also have difficulty. He tells us we should be thankful about that difficulty because God uses it to build perseverance in us. Perseverance builds our character. Recognizing the character growth in ourselves builds our hope of becoming all that we should be.
Rom 5:1-5 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. NASB
Paul tells us that God works everything that happens to us for our good, IF we love Him and are called according to His purpose. (God cannot do much to help us if we stiff arm Him in relationship.)
Rom 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NASB
Joseph, son of Jacob, knew this principle very well. His brothers, jealous of his popularity with their father, sold him into slavery and he wound up in bondage in Egypt as an 18-year-old boy. Then after 12 years of difficulty in which Joseph demonstrated his mature faith and hope in God, he was suddenly escalated – rocketed – to the position of second most powerful person in Egypt, and, therefore, in the world of his day. His gifts honed in the fires of tribulation gave him the wisdom and confidence to plan the work and work the plan that saved a nation and all the surrounding countries from starvation.
In time, he even gained pre-eminence and authority over his brothers who had treated him so badly. Realizing their possible peril, they begged him for forgiveness. His answer is one of the most important Bible passages in my life.
Gen 50:20″And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. NASB
“Even though your intent was pure evil toward me,” Joseph said, “God had a larger plan to use it for good in my life.” Joseph was only focused on how God used his trouble for good. It is obvious that Joseph always believed God would redeem his trouble. We see that in the actions of the young slave, Joseph, who was faithful to God for 12 years in the midst of his difficulty. He could have abandoned God early and often, thinking that God had abandoned him, but Joseph did not think that way. Wonder why?
Jacob, his father, poured time and inspiration into young Joseph from the time he was small, and it paid off. By eighteen, Joseph’s theology and his relationship with God were both well developed. He knew how to persevere in tribulation and his character shone forth. Joseph, therefore, had hope. Jacob, himself, was an expert in trouble, much of it self-inflicted, but he learned to walk with God through dealing with it.
Joseph’s story is easy to read and easy to tell, but it was tough to live out. Try to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes and feel what he was going through. His brothers pick on him increasingly as he gets older. Two of his stepmothers resent him because he is obviously going to displace their sons who are older and should outrank him. The depth of the family resentment becomes apparent when he finds himself thrown down into a dark hole.
Then he listens as his brothers discuss if and how to kill him. His world only spirals deeper as he is sold to slavers by his brothers, drug behind a camel for weeks while watching his home, his father and his former life retreating in the rear-view mirror. Each new morning is a fresh slap of reality. This is a nightmare, but it is not a dream.
Processed like a mule in the slave market, he is bought by an Egyptian master with a devil for a wife. He is ostracized even by other slaves for his religiosity, yet he is faithful. Finally settling in and rising in rank and favor among his peers (a tallest of the pygmies’ scenario), he is falsely accused of rape and thrown into an Egyptian prison, left to rot. Even here he is faithful to Yahweh and his gift of administration enables him to rise once more.
Joseph spends years in the service of Potiphar and even more years in the prison. This is not like on TV where all conflicts are resolved in an hour. This is twelve long never-ending years with no hope in sight except what he carries in his bosom. Resignation with trust in God generates a peace in him, a miraculous peace that makes no earthly sense. Then God acts to deliver him, but not before Joseph has endured to the end of twelve long arduous years.
Amazingly he is able to maintain perspective through it all. It was what Paul later calls “momentary light affliction.” More impressive than the later perspective is his peace and resultant faithfulness in the house of Potiphar and in the prison. It is the perspective he has in the twelve years of difficulty (not just after it) that we want to understand and to learn to access.
Paul tells us that he himself has suffered some “momentary light afflictions” that are producing eternal treasure in him.
2 Cor 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NASB
One of the first clues to his ability to deal with his trouble is that he does not focus on it. He does not “look at” the things which are seen (the trouble itself), but rather he focuses on things unseen; i.e., things in the realm of God. The first question we should ask in times of trouble is, “God, what are you up to here?” We ask it not in an angry, accusatory way, but with a real desire to understand how a loving, all-knowing wise God is planning to use this difficulty to our benefit.
I have learned that once we do all that we can to alleviate trouble, we need to get our mind on God, on other things, even on other people. Focusing on trouble causes it to loom large in our minds and consumes us with it. Focusing on God’s purpose for allowing or causing the difficulty is more productive. Do this exercise. Try not to think about your big toes, -anything else – just not your big toes. As long as you keep saying “big toes,” that is what you are going to think about. We think and feel about that on which we focus.
I have a paralyzed diaphragm. I cannot breathe lying down without the help of a BiPap machine, a machine that forces air in and out of my lungs while I sleep. When I am upright, gravity helps me to breathe. When I am awake, I can and do make a conscious effort to breathe. But when I am asleep, I have no autonomic response. I stop breathing. I choke. I wake up. Only the machine allows me to sleep at all. When I am on a long flight (such as to Africa), I must go up to 30 hours without sleep. My body wants to sleep, but as soon as I doze, I choke and I wake up. When I have a cold and my nose is stopped up,
I cannot use the machine – sometimes for 48 hours.
Sleep deprivation is horrible, painful and can leave one in a neurotic state. After a while, the sensation of choking is like being water-boarded. It is maddening and psychologically painful. You don’t want it. I don’t want it, and yet I have it – 3-4 times each year. So what do I do about it? I have learned many biblical techniques for dealing with it. One of them is to focus on other things.
On my flights to Africa, I read and/or watch7-8 movies. I watched Mamma Mia 3-4 times on one trip. It kept me awake. Movies will stimulate my brain and allow me to stay conscious until I can get to my next bed. I walk around inside the plane when they will let me. I talk to people if I can find anyone awake. I try to help them with their problems to take my mind off my own.
At home I have more options. I can do Bible study, write curriculum, and talk with people on the phone. Altering my focus away from the problem is one of the things God has shown me to do. Paul says in 2 Cor 4:18 (see above) that rather than focus on his problems, he focuses on them – his flock. He focuses on God. He focuses on anything but the problem. It is a beginning. This does not make the difficulty pleasant or fun, but it makes it manageable.
2 Cor 4:8-9… we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. NASB
Just how bad were Paul’s troubles? What were these momentary light afflictions Paul had to deal with? Let’s look at his “laundry list” of difficulties.
2 Cor 11:24-29 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Thirty-nine lashes have been known to cripple or even kill people. Sailors who were lashed would suffer lifetime consequences. They were often left stooped over, unable to walk upright. They would gambol when they walked. (It resembles the walking motion of a penguin.) The scar tissue on their back and sides would force this alteration in their posture causing these symptoms. Five times is a huge number of times for this to happen to one man. Paul traveled with a doctor (Luke, the physician) for a reason. He would need medical care for the rest of his life.
Paul walked long distances as a younger man (20-30 miles) but he could not maintain the pace as he got older. These whippings were ordered by synagogue leaders who had the authority to punish members. Paul allowed this due to his obedience to Judaic law. Paul never quit being a Jew his whole life. Paul would act to prevent Romans from whipping him when he could using his Roman citizenship, but he submitted to the synagogue leaders (so he could lead Jews to Christ) until he was expelled from their synagogues. If this happened to you or me, it would probably put us in the hospital or maybe the morgue.
2 Cor 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,
Being beaten with rods was not much better than receiving 39 lashes. We know that the Greeks used rods on Paul and Silas in Philippi. Additionally, Paul tells us he was stoned once. People usually did not walk away from being stoned (yet another Jewish punishment). This happened to Paul at Lystra, Timothy’s home town.
Acts 14:19-20 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 But while the disciples stood around him, he arose and entered the city. And the next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. NASB
Return to text: …three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
We only have record of one time that Paul was shipwrecked; i.e., off the coast of Malta (Acts 27-28). Apparently, it occurred twice more in stories we do not have. On one of these occasions he was left floating in the ocean for 24 hours.
2 Cor 11:26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches. NASB
Then there are numerous other hard times Paul suffered severely. Lacking proper rest, cold, wet and hungry, Paul goes ever forward in God’s service. Easy to talk about. Very difficult to do. Then there was the really bad time he tells the Corinthians about in 2 Cor 1:8-11 where he despaired of life itself.
2 Cor 1:8-10 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, NASB
“Despaired” here is not lightly used. It means Paul was convinced he was going to die. He was not expecting a divine rescue mission. He thought it was all over. In retrospect, he says, this situation was given to him by God to teach him to trust in God, not his own devices. He tells us that it taught him going forward to trust God to deliver him from all peril.
So we see that Paul did not just romp his way through life unscathed. He suffered difficulty and sometimes great difficulty. So how did Paul deal with his difficulties? We know he focused on other things, but what else did he do to find God’s peace in the midst of difficulty? His epistles are rich in information about this subject. It is information which all of us need to understand. We may never be an apostle or a pastor or a teacher, but we will all have trouble in life.
Because Paul trusted God to work all things to good for him, he learned to rejoice in all his circumstances, to praise God in all situations, to expect that even if “they” meant it for evil (like Joseph’s brothers), God had a purpose or could turn the lemons into lemonade.
When Paul was in prison in Rome (in AD 62-63), he heard that some men were using his imprisonment to their advantage even as they preached the Gospel. Paul chose to not focus on their attitude towards him, but rather to rejoice that they were preaching the Gospel and that Jesus would be lifted up even at his expense. He focused on how God would redeem it, not on what was happening.
Phil 1:15-20 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. 19 For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. NASB
Paul tells the Philippians to trust that no matter what the situation, God is working it in their favor.
Phil 2:12-18 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. NASB
Paul goes on to tell them to “rejoice in the Lord always,” in every situation, in every difficulty, trusting that the Lord is near. “Be anxious for nothing!” God will give you a peace that is miraculous, a peace that makes no earthly sense but is the norm for those who are heavenly minded. I compare it to anesthesia. They may be carving you up on the operating table, but you are miraculously at ease about it. The Holy Spirit has anesthetized you. You are at peace.
Those around you are stunned, even amazed that you should have such peace. Whatever you are on, they want some. They will literally beg you to tell them about what is enabling you to be at peace in the midst of the death of your son or a diagnosis of terminal cancer. Then you get to tell them about Jesus.
Phil 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NASB
Paul told the Colossians that he rejoiced in his imprisonment for their sake. It gave him the time to stop and write to them addressing issues in their lives for which Christ died, but which they needed Paul’s help to understand. If Paul had not had this 2-year down-time in his house arrest in Rome (and other places), he would never have written many of his epistles or been able to give us much of his advice. He focused on how God would use his imprisonments, not the fact that he was locked up for no good reason.
Col 1:24-25 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. NASB
He tells the Thessalonians much the same thing. Trust God in your difficulty. Trust Him that He is working a good thing in you by it and “Rejoice always!” In everything give thanks.
1 Thess 5:15-18 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. NASB
As David frequently said in the Psalms, “There is a God in Heaven, and He has got my back!” David would start off many a Psalm with a lament about his circumstances. “My enemies have surrounded me. My friends have betrayed me. I am being punished unjustly (this time anyway). But you are my faithful God and you will deliver me! You will prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, even though I am in the valley of the shadow of death.”
Ps 23 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. NASB
Peter brings us the same theme, a theme he learned from his Master, our Lord.
1 Peter 1:6-10 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. NASB
Do not be surprised, Peter says, that a fiery ordeal or two (or three) comes into your life. They came into the life of your Master, Jesus. When you embrace them, trusting in the goodness of God to redeem them in your life, you are having a shared experience with Jesus. Now if your suffering is due to your sin, embrace the discipline, but usually it is just a trial that results from a fallen world and an adversary (Satan) that seeks to destroy you. He will not succeed. God has got you. God purges His people through trials before He judges the world more harshly.
1 Peter 4:12-17 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? NASB
The Bible teaches me how Jesus, Paul, Peter and John thought about their difficulties. So what have I learned from my laundry list of difficulties with which I opened this narrative. Let’s take a look.
My experience in a home full of strife taught me that I needed to create a place of peace for my family, and I learned many lessons on how to accomplish that. My absentee father taught me the value of spending time with my own children resulting in a lifelong relationship with them all. My father and I were later reconciled and became good friends. My chaotic relationship with my mother taught me to choose a wife wisely and to make sure she was well loved for the sake of my children. And I learned to be compassionate to people who were trapped in their vices and addictions, to love the sinner even when I hated the sin.
I learned to honor both of my imperfect parents and to guard against my own many imperfections as I parented my own children. I learned to avoid alcohol and to have compassion upon those who were not mentally healthy. My investigation as to why a loving mother could be so broke caused me to understand the incredible ramifications of a bad home life (hers) and work to end the curse of it in my own children. As God taught me to love and honor my parents, they both came to know the Lord to their eternal reward.
My trials as a child on the playground at odds with my peers made me sensitive to the pain of others and caused me to reach out to the marginalized people around me. It built the ministerial tendencies in my life and taught me about the psychic pain inflicted when people are cruel. It caused me to cherish friends when later I had some. The molestations taught me to defend the vulnerable and that everyone is human, even those who were my heroes.
I learned to question authority and that all men had clay feet. I learned that good people can be captured in evil and deceived as to its consequences. It made me seek God to be delivered from my own hidden sins of which we can all be unaware.
The car wreck taught me that God will be with me in all circumstances and also that no one is immune from trouble. As a bill collector, I learned to be honest in my work and to trust God for my daily bread. I also developed some much-needed backbone. I learned that life is not fair and that promotion comes neither from the east nor the west but from the Lord. When it later did come to me I realized it was a gift, not a right.
I learned that prosperity was also a gift from God and that He was the source of my life.
I discovered that God would meet us in our time of need, that He could multiply resources, when necessary, and that He would never let us starve or be in want.
From my troubled son, I learned that good parents can have difficult children and that all parents made mistakes. I learned the pain of a father watching a prodigal son struggle. I began to feel the pain in God’s own bosom for His people and His unconditional love of us all. I began to understand the real value of life and of those with whom God gives us to share it. Then I experienced the joy of seeing a lost son come home.
I learned that there are worse things than losing money or one’s health. I learned that there are two sides to every story and that every man has his own story which no other man can judge.
I learned that God is faithful in the worst of times. I learned that He could be counted on in every storm and provides a way of escape to all who trust Him. I learned that all salvation is based in relationship (not religion) and that all relationship is based in trust. I learned that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and how blessed it is to have health.
I found out that God is with is in our brokenness as much as in our victory. I learned that truth is revealed, not mentally apprehended.
I found out that I was unafraid to die and that life is a journey to a place, not a destination. I learned that happiness is a decision and that joy is a Person, not a feeling. I learned that we cannot grow or reach our potential without the challenges in our life
and that the unchallenged man will never really be more than a boy. There is neither time nor page enough to record all that the difficulties in my life have revealed to me. These are but a sampling.
Thank God for the “momentary light afflictions” we encounter on the eternal journey toward our redemption in God. When God does not deliver us from the furnace, He meets us in the furnace (as He did with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in Dan 2).
The father disciplines the son whom he loves and without discipline we are just illegitimate children (Heb 12). Discipline means to train and reprove and no maturity occurs in its absence.
Paul tells us that to get the most out of our difficulties, we need to focus not on the problem, but on the purpose of God for allowing it, to relate to our struggle with a proper perspective. The secret to prospering in the problem is praise. The secret to turning the trial into a treasure of immeasurable worth is to trust.
The living God wants to be our friend in good times and bad and will never forsake us. He will make a table for us in the presence of our enemies even in the valley of the shadow of death. He will grant us the peace that passes all understanding if we maintain our faith in His goodness and in His sovereignty. There is a God in Heaven and He holds us in His hand – always. May God bless you – always.