Do you ever feel punched in the gut by life? The kind of hit that takes your breath away and not in a great “Top Gun” type of way. It’s like when you unexpectedly fall out of a cherry tree in your yard, land on your back and the air gets knocked out of you. Or when you fall out of the boat whitewater rafting and every time you try to take a breath you are swept under the rapids. I fall a lot. It’s the kind of punch that scares you because you think for a split second--I might not make it.
It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be a job, your health, your spouse, your children, friends, money issues, family or a nice mixture of some or all of those things.
Those blows are scary. They challenge your faith in yourself, in your capabilities, in the plan and if you are a believer, in God. But, in a larger capacity they can refine you. They can bring you to a deeper understanding of who God is and who you are (or are not) in ways “happy” experiences never could.
It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be a job, your health, your spouse, your children, friends, money issues, family or a nice mixture of some or all of those things.
Those blows are scary. They challenge your faith in yourself, in your capabilities, in the plan and if you are a believer, in God. But, in a larger capacity they can refine you. They can bring you to a deeper understanding of who God is and who you are (or are not) in ways “happy” experiences never could.
Here are a couple reminders I’ve learned through these experiences.
God is in control. Sometimes this is comforting and other times it’s downright scary because God being in control means He will do what is best. That sounds good until you think about the fact that what is best is not always easy. Difficult isn’t fun, but it’s necessary sometimes. Difficult situations can whittle away pride and other things that get between you and God. It can be a way God protects us from things that are worse. Ask your kids: do they love it when you tell them they can’t go to a friend’s house? They don’t always know the family is dysfunctional and you are leery of the man that lives in the house. They miss out on temporary things, but are preserved in much bigger ways.
When we pursue God through these difficult seasons we glorify God in a way we never could when things are going great. It’s easy to glorify God when you just got back from your 10th trip to Disney with the fam, your kids are the poster children for their school, your husband won the lottery, you just received the Nobel Peace Prize and your dog rescued a baby from a burning house. Who wouldn’t praise God if that happened… But God being in control is deeper. God being in control means I do not have to worry about how things work out, because He will work them out according to His purpose. Isn’t that what I truly want? I gave my life to God, so why do I continue to fight for control? Why do I fight against His refinement?
Christianity is not transactional. This is my husband’s goto soap box lately and it’s true. We tend to believe if we serve God/pray/go to church/are nice to others, He will work things out for us. How many stories of Bible heroes actually support that idea? Several of the disciples were slaughtered for their faith, Job was faithful and received painful situations because of it, Paul was stoned, imprisoned and shipwrecked and Moses never made it into the Promised Land. Those are just a few examples but those are key people in the Bible. Not to mention the present-day missionaries and believers who lose their lives, or at the least suffer for what they believe. Why do we think we are exempt from pain? Maybe I should be thankful for our biggest struggles, because they obviously could be worse and good usually comes out of them. Our relationship with God doesn’t start with us, it starts with Christ and we respond. Christianity doesn’t start with our good deeds and result in God giving us a gold star and smooth sailing. Christianity is not about what we do or how we succeed, it’s about what God does. What God does is not always easy.
God doesn’t promise us a food, money, or housing. God promises Himself. That concept is one I will continue to understand more and more deeply as I pursue Him and life happens. He will supply our needs. We look at that through our American lens and say, “But, bad things shouldn't happen to good people.” God sees outside of the box we live in called Earth. God cares about our daily situation, but His love and concern go beyond the daily things to the eternal things. Eternal salvation is our true need, not Earthly survival. God is our only true need and if God can use our suffering to draw us closer to Him or bring others closer to Him, then I’m on board.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious… Let your requests be made known to God.” That’s the good part. It’s where we stop most times because as humans we think if make a request, our request will be fulfilled--transactional Christianity. But, verse seven is what caught my attention: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s response to us making our requests known is that He will provide peace to guard our hearts and minds. It never says He is going to fix things the way we want or answer our prayers with our preferred answer. It says He will guard our hearts in Christ Jesus.
What does that even mean? I believe it means that He will guard our hearts from doubting Him, losing trust in Him, being angry at a situation or even angry at Him. He guards us from anxiety about our future, worry about our kids--that is what I need protection from when times are hard. Hard times come. We can’t shield ourselves or our children from everything. He will protect our minds when they flood with all the worries and fears that come with major transitions and unexpected life situations. Jesus is the answer to our need. God desires most for us to have a relationship with Him through Jesus, but not a subpar one--a living, vibrant one.
Maybe God will answer our heavy-hearted prayers with a gold star and the perfect scenario, but there is never a promise of that. No one wants to experience difficulty. Being refined is scary and hard. But, I do want to be refined and while I’m being refined, I pray God always guards my heart.
Comments