Get with the program

January 11, 2008

Although the idea is illogical, I’ve done it myself and heard other Christians say it: “When I’m suffering, I tend to try everything I know to fix it, and when all of that fails, then I ask God.”

We are too resourceful. We have too many skills. Help comes in too many forms. We have doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and if these don’t give us the answers we want, we try the Internet! What makes anyone think that God intended Himself to be our last straw?

My devotional reading today says, “Let us try to imagine the apostles and early Christians as being filled with as many doubts and questions as modern Christians, and think what effect it would have had on their preaching and work. We can see in a moment that it would have been fatal to the spread of the gospel. A church founded on doubts and questions could have made no headway in an unbelieving world.”

Individual issues as well as the big picture reveal that the modern church seems to have little idea that we are in a spiritual war. The enemy desires that we make no headway, neither as a church nor as individual believers. He fills our head with lies about God and as we fail to discern what is happening we flounder in doubt about the character and power of God. In our minds, when life gets tough, God has stopped caring and we must ‘fix it’ ourselves.

God has a lot to say about this big thing that we resist—suffering. Perhaps the most important truth is that He has a purpose in it. Instead of fighting it or trying to fix everything I don’t like, I am supposed to trust Him and seek His purpose. Otherwise that trial is a waste and I’ll likely need to experience another test before God’s will is done in my life. 1 Peter 4:12ff speaks about this:

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now ‘If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?’ Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”

This is a rich passage that reveals much about my trials, but first it reminds me that Jesus suffered too, far more than I ever will. Because of that, I cannot suppose that living a good life will exempt me. In fact, 2 Timothy 3:12 says that, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” The godly life of Jesus Christ angered people to the point of wanting to kill Him and God even allowed them to do it! If I determine to be like Jesus, I can expect opposition, and if not from people, certainly from Satan, but I can also expect that God is controlling all of it.

The passage also says that I need to watch out that people don’t have good reason for disliking me. In other words, don’t bring it on myself by sinning or by being a jerk. 1 Peter 3:17 says, “For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil,” telling me that I can suffer at the hand of God for both. One purpose might be to chasten me for sin—and that suffering can be avoided. The other purpose is that I see this as an opportunity to glorify God. Of course I will not do that if He is last on my list of resources.

Peter also points out that God uses suffering to perfect His people. We have rough edges that need to be knocked off, but we also have the potential for deep faith and great Christlikeness that will not show up until we suffer trials. Therefore, to bring glory to Himself and growth to us, God allows these tests. Instead of falling into doubt and questioning God at this point, I am supposed to trust and glorify Him.

Later on in 1 Peter 5:8-12, the Bible says I am to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Sometimes I forget that Satan is trying to wreak my life and God is trying to perfect my life. Instead, I blame God for the disasters and try all by myself to make things perfect—using all sorts of schemes. God is gracious and allows my efforts to work—sometimes, but His eventual goal is that I become like Him and glorify Him. Instead of taking matters into my own hands, I’m far better off when I get with the program and cooperate with His goals—and His methods.