Surrender…

I once read of two alcoholics who were given faith in Christ and eternal life. They met twenty years later and one said to the other that he had been saved all that time and never once was tempted to drink again. The other man smiled and told him he had been saved all that time also, and never drank again, even though he was tempted every day. The question is: who had the greater victory?

This week, I spoke of a man who walks with a cane and has been pulled back from death several times. He is diabetic, has knee and hip problems, and moves slowly. However, when asked how he is doing, he is joyful and always says, “I’m fine.” We chatted about this and he agreed that there is a secret to joy — God gives it even if the pain is not taken away.

As I spoke of his attitude to others, one person said, “If he would just admit his pain then others would pray that he would be healed.” That statement shocked me. Again, who has the greater victory? The one whose life has no problems and is always comfortable, or the one whose life is filled with trials and they are filled with joy in spite of them?

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

These verses and the Apostle Paul’s stories of his trials convince me that the greater victory is not total comfort or any other human or worldly source of well-being, but the grace of God that gives strength in weakness, and in fact, uses those who are weak as a testimony to His power and love. There are many ‘healthy and happy’ sinners, but a scarcity of Christians who can be joyful in trials.

I’m preaching to myself too. We are moving and that involves de-cluttering, filling boxes, shoving furniture around, and all sorts of work. I cannot pray that God will send a band of angels to do all that for us. However, He is guiding us through the process and giving us surprises each day. We offered several items for sale and those we thought no one would want were the first to go. Changes to the new place have been scheduled for the most convenient days, and business people who could not help us directed us to their competitors who could. Stuff like that. And strength for each day. When I purged some books, the Holy Spirit kept nudging me what to keep and what to pass along to others.

Being and feeling helpless is not my enemy. My enemy is the notion that I have to have everything working the way I want it to along with confidence that ‘I can do this’ but God works far more when I admit that I cannot and rely on Him.

PRAY: Lord, help the person who missed the point of joy in trials to see that yielding to Your will in trials is far more of a miracle than making trials go away. You faced the greatest trial, one that we will never experience, and sweat drops of blood at the prospect. Nevertheless, You said, “Not my will but Thine be done.” May You grant me the same willingness to press on, no matter what You ask me to do.