Username Of The Writer: ArticleProf
Hope In Suffering
If we said that the entire world is suffering right now, that would not be an understatement.
Many people have been affected in different ways by the pandemic that has taken the lives of our loved ones. The future will be very different for some because of the situation across the world right now, and that is the naked truth.
Uncertainty, fear, and anxiety can overwhelm us every day if we allow them. You need to understand that these are natural feelings, and we cannot assume or pretend that they do not exist. But if you stop there and allow these feelings to take over your inner self, you let the enemy take over your life. The enemy will utilize every chance and opportunity to steal, destroy and kill and fear is one of his ultimate tools.
So, what if you take to heart the message the word of God teaches us, “Fear Not!” What if you live knowing that you are not fighting for your victory but from victory. The book of Proverbs 3:5 tells us that we should not choose to lean on our strength or understanding, but into the one Jesus Christ who has already overcome, John16:33.
God wants us to embrace the hardships of life and take it as an opportunity to know Christ better and be more like Him along our paths, and that is the current opportunity that He has given us. The book of Romans 5:3-5 says that we should rejoice in our suffering, keeping in mind that suffering brings endurance while endurance produces character. With character, there is hope, and hope will never shame you because the love of God has been poured into your heart by the power of the Holy Spirit who has been offered to us.
You might be wondering where the comfort is knowing that you are living in a fallen world. But, it is comforting because it means all the bad ordeals and painful things that we go through are not some accident or an indication of a huge failure by God. If any of these were true, there would be a reason to feel hopeless and powerless. The book of 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 tells us that we are afflicted in different ways, but we are not crushed; persecuted but not forsaken; perplexed, but not driven to despair’ struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying in our bodies the death of Jesus so that Jesus’ life is manifested in our bodies.
Recently I visited my friend’s church, and after the sermon, a church member stood up and told the pastor that he had a burning testimony that he was willing to share with the congregation to inspire hope, and this is what he said, ” In August of 1994, I was six years nine years old and my family, and I were traveling to visit our old family friend for the weekend. A lorry traveling the opposite direction burst tires lost control, and hit my family car, killing my dad, mum, and three brothers. I was the only one who survived this incident.
My whole changed drastically, and I lacked the value of life. Gone were the long afternoons playing in the backyard. Gone were the interesting bedtime stories from my dad. My childhood had been severely affected. God gave me a loving family that adopted me from that point, but things were never to be the same again. My parents had brought me up in a church and had modeled faith in me from a young age; I knew God was there for me even after everything around me had changed. I knew that God never changed. Jesus became my fortress. He gave me the chance to wrestle with Him and even ask Him hard questions like “why me, God?…. Do you still love me?… Can I put my trust in You? Over time, His faithfulness came to my rescue. He allowed me to search, roam and question while calling me to go back to Him.
With time I stopped asking why and my question was, What now? Thankfully, Jesus does not call me to understand, but to trust Him, So instead of asking why, I surrender to Jesus, asking what do you want from me? How do you want me to serve You? God, I want you to be my guide?”
Today, James is married, with a nice family. God has surrounded him with many family members, good friends, and mentors to encourage him and grow his faith. This story inspired me much, and I realized that if you are hurting, know that you are not alone. God is working on your life and mine.
God has allowed us to be in this broken world because what it makes in us is better than the comfortable life we all yarn to have. God is not giving us less in our suffering but graciously giving us more and more!
Originally posted 2022-01-09 06:05:00.
