Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4 MSG)
So, you are going through some rough stuff? Be glad! It is the challenges of life that give us opportunity to develop strength and endurance. This is how we find what we are really made of and what we need to purge from our lives. This is how we grow and improve. When we are under pressure, the world sees our true colors!
Imagine a life without worry or care. Suppose we could spend our days reclining in a luxurious chaise lounge, not having to lift a finger for anything. At the touch of a button we could have any meal or snack delivered in a jiffy, unlimited cappuccinos served on command, the thermostat adjusted to perfection, and an unlimited choice of entertainment available to satisfy our every whim. We would not have to work another day of our lives nor do any household chores ever again. It would all be taken care of for us, no worries. Someone would run all our errands for us and drive us anywhere we wanted to go. Stress would be a thing of the past, and life would be a breeze! Or, would it?
Let us rethink this. Would such a lifestyle ever truly be satisfying? Can a life of ease ever bring fulfillment to someone who never has to strive to reach a goal or exert any effort to accomplish a task? Perhaps there are those who might for a time dream of living a totally care-free lifestyle, but most of us would become disgusted with ourselves in a short time. We each have an innate need to fulfill a purpose in life and not to merely pass the time in a lazy and self-indulgent shell of a body. The result of living such a lethargic lifestyle would be to become one miserable, weak, bored, unhealthy, unfulfilled, and very overweight couch potato. Eventually, this person would grow to loathe his life and dread to wake up each morning because he would find himself with nothing to show for his brief time on earth and would be declining in every area of his life.
Perhaps my example is more extreme than any of us would ever truly desire; well, maybe we’ll take it for just for a day, especially the cappuccino part! Often what we would prefer is just an occasional break from all the stress and struggle that bombards us each day. Just when we think we have had enough, here comes another downpour! There are times we don’t know if we can take another mess to clean, another financial crisis to worry about, another flat tire or car repair, another overwhelming deadline looming over us at work, another broken furnace to replace, another sinus infection to nurse, or another hot-tempered customer to try to calm. Give me a break! These are everyday stresses that can easily make us wish we could run away and jump on the next Royal Caribbean cruise to Jamaica!
The difference between drowning under these circumstances and thriving in spite of it all is in our attitude. When we focus on the inconvenience or difficulty, we can become negative, bitter, and defeated. We miss out on the beauty of the tapestry God is creating in our lives and eventually wonder how we became so disillusioned about life. However, when we consider each challenge as a gift, an opportunity to grow, learn, and develop Godly character, we can welcome each problem with pure joy. The truth is we need challenges in life. Overcoming problems teaches us strength of character and wisdom. We need experiences that stump us from time to time in order to stretch us and to develop perseverance, patience, compassion, and spiritual and emotional maturity.
Unfortunately, however, there are more than just the daily pressures of life that challenge us. Too often we can also be blindsided by an unexpected major crisis, such as an accident, the death of a loved one, a scary diagnosis, losing your home to a fire or damaging storm, divorce, a robbery, or a stock market crash that dwindles your retirement savings down to almost nothing. How can we see such loss as a gift and continue to give thanks? Are we supposed to ignore our grief? Isn’t that a bit shallow and out of touch with reality?
Please understand that God is not one who is unacquainted with grief. He knows exactly how we feel when we experience such pain, and He grieves along with us. He never leaves us to walk through the dark valleys of life all alone. It is OK to cry and to express our grief when we hurt. God has given us this natural grieving process to help us cope with loss in our lives. However, even in the heat of our calamity, we can continue to keep a heavenly perspective and choose to trust God in all things. We can rest in the hope of His promises to comfort us, heal our hearts, help us through it, and to restore everything we have lost. We can be sure that God will come through for us, and we are also promised a happy ending. So, no matter our pain, we really can continue to have a thankful heart and a positive expectation. Even in tragedy, God has promised to work all things for our good. He also uses everything to make us like Jesus.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:28-29 NLT
Finally, we can scrap that dream of a stress-free life of ease. It will never happen. However, no matter what season of life we find ourselves in, regardless of the level of challenge or crisis we face, we can give God thanks in all things and endure with faith, hope, and gladness. Be full of joy, Friends!
