I subscribe to a personal theory that our suffering is an integral part of God’s plan to ready us for the struggle of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Suffering in some ways is a prerequisite for strengthening one’s spiritual muscle. I look at Christ’s time in the desert as a toughening or cleansing that readied Him for the task ahead.
For me it is difficult to respect the opinion of someone who has led the so-called “charmed life” or someone who was born with the proverbial silver spoon in a cavity-free mouth. It’s hard, if not impossible, to listen to someone talk with certainty about things they’ve never seen or places they’ve never been.
My belief is that God teaches in a manner few of us will ever truly understand. I honestly believe that when He chooses you, when it’s your time, He has a unique way of communicating who’s really in charge. And it ain’t us.
Take notes on this. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but (rather) painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
As far as I’m concerned, we’re all in training, believe it or not, to fight in God’s war. Whether being forged in a fiery furnace or stuck in a tailspin of perceived despair and hopelessness, each one of us is being battle tested in anticipation that one day we will be called to arms. This struggle, these experiences, bring about wisdom.
Otherwise, God keeps you in a perpetual classroom where life constantly gives you a new place to go to the bathroom. You haven’t learned anything, so life keeps kicking your … well, you get the picture.
When you finally realize the One trying to tell you something is God, then a wondrous thing begins to happen. You listen more intently and learn more eagerly. Like the child who discovers walking leads to the joy of running, or the baby who discovers his own hand, the possibilities seem endless.
The mind says, “Tell me more.” The spirit says, “Thank you, Jesus.” At that very moment, it is my belief that God lets us know we’re able to withstand, overcome, rise above and win the battle of carrying the message of salvation.
Christ is savior. At that moment, we also move from being in the classroom to being on the battlefield where Satan keeps score.
You remember those days back in school when you actually studied and were prepared for the test? Confidence oozed from you. When God has been the lesson planner, the study partner, the instructor, it doesn’t matter how much Satan wants it to be a Netflix night.
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12.
