Striving Forward In the Midst of Difficulty

I Peter 4:19: "So, then, those who suffer according to God's Will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

No one desires suffering. In fact, painful trials are the very things from which we attempt to run as far away as possible. Sometimes our trials are self-inflicted through our sinful decisions (see I Peter 4:15); yet there are times when our difficulties are not the direct result of our actions, but are situations thrust upon us (usually when we least expect it).

God's Word gives us our response to those unexpected events that are apt to shatter our spirits leading us into the depressing state of despondency. First, the Scriptures tell us that these episodes are introduced in our lives according to the will of God. For many of you, that very statement may be so unsettling that you are apt to close out this link never to return again. If you are still reading, that means that you at least are willing to hear out the reasoning why God would do such a thing.

Whereas God is not the author of sin, He is Sovereign over all things. If He desired for you to not experience a certain tragedy, then He most assuredly would intervene in the circumstance to bring deliverance. In fact, we may find in eternity a fuller awareness of just how much God DID Do to rescue us from perilous situations that could have brought our demise.

Still, God permits other painful encounters to come our way, and He does so in order that we might through the ordeal grow closer in our dependence on Him and readjust our priorities toward His offering of eternal life, where pain and difficulty are wonderfully absent. When trials come our way and are introduced by the will of God, they are designed to grow us in our awareness of Him, mature us in our faith in Him, and draw us into a fuller understanding of peace and contentment in Him, no matter the circumstance.

The above Scripture compels believers in Christ to "commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." In other passages of Scripture, the word for "commit" means to "roll to." One can see the imagery of a ball starting at the top of a hill being pushed down; and as it continues down the slope, it rolls faster and faster towards its destination. When we find ourselves being pushed off of our mountaintop "highs" we simply need to start rolling toward the Savior, moving faster and faster as we continue down the hill of disappointment. We need to put all of our trust in our glorious Lord, knowing that He is Sovereign and He is Good and Faithful. He will be with us, helping us bear up under the weight of the ordeal that we are facing. Though we might not like the painful experience, we must recognize that God has willed this for us and He has done so for a purpose. And according to the passage cited above, the purpose is for us to continue to do good, thereby bringing glory to God . . . our ultimate purpose in life.

One of the worst things we can do is take our eyes off the Savior and His purpose for our lives, looking instead toward our circumstances with fear, resignation, and hopelessness. As we begin to fixate our minds on the abysmal situations that we are facing, we are apt to lose sight of God in the midst of the trial; and our faith is shattered as we start to believe things will never get better. We might even begin to talk with others about our anger toward God for permitting such a trial to befall us; or we might verbalize that we don't believe we can press on, given the pain of the experience. The Word of God tells us to "avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly" (2 Timothy 2:16). Whereas the Timothy passage might address gossip or other inappropriate language, one also might add despondent words of futile thinking. When one throws in the towel and acknowledges that life is not worth living due to the trial, one is saying in effect that God has made a big blunder in permitting this event in our lives. We are professing that the Lord does not know what is best, and that He is not good and faithful. We might even suggest that He is not really in control, or that He is a despicable tyrant, not worthy of our allegiance. These are the thoughts and words that will lead us further and further toward ungodliness. Bitterness lies at the end of such a path, and no good thing comes from its presence in our lives.

Therefore, we must take these thoughts captive and surrender them to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must see that there is a plan and purpose for those painful experiences that we encounter. We must roll toward the LORD seeking His wisdom and comfort. We must trust that He is good and is working out His purposes through us as we struggle down the arduous path of difficulty. We must, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, determine that we have a calling to continue to do good in the midst of the trial. Our good includes continuing to praise the LORD, demonstrating faith in Him, and inspiring others who might traverse similar paths in the future.

There is much to do. Let us not permit our trials to gain victory over us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, let us rise above our difficulties, in order that we might be all that God desires for us to be . . . for His glory and the furtherance of His glorious kingdom!