Archive - Trials RSS Feed

This is Messed Up

September 7, 2011 in Thoughts, Tragedy, Trials with 0 Comments

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NKJV).  I believe this verse in my head, but I struggle believing it with all of my my heart.  When Paul wrote these words almost 2,000 years ago, I am convinced that he believed them with all of his heart.  He knew that the Lord was capable of taking all things – injustice, suffering, sin, disappointment –  and causing good to grow.  Before you begin to claim God’s beauty in your mess, remember that God’s converting of bad to good is conditional.  Only those who love Him are promised a good outcome for their pain and suffering.  Humanly speaking, I am not sure how God can bring good from that which seems bad; however, He has made it very clear that He is capable of accomplishing those things that man views as impossible.  Your perspective on circumstances in extremely limited, but God sees the beginning from the end.  You only see death.  You only see brokenness.  You only see disability.  You only see a mess.   God sees the big picture.

God specializes in turning that which is undesirable into that which is beautiful.

Circumstance 101

November 8, 2010 in Thoughts, Trials, Worry with 1 Comment

There are some things I can control and some things I cannot.  If you are like me, you tend to ignore the controllable circumstances in favor of worrying about uncontrollable circumstances.  It just seems easier.  Worry takes less effort than work.  Developing hypothetical outcomes for the unreachable seems easier than developing solutions for the attainable.  I’m not sure why all of us consistently fall into this exhausting pattern, but I am certain that we must do our best to overcome this inclination.  Here are a few honest questions to help you focus on what can be changed and release the things which cannot.

  • Can the circumstance be changed? Although this may sound like an obvious starting point, most individuals could benefit from wrestling with this question.  You need to come face to face with your answer.  Yes, it can be changed.  No, it cannot be changed.  A positive answer requires a plan of action.  A negative answer requires a release.
  • Should I give the circumstance more time? Some circumstances resolve themselves overnight while others require you to go the distance.  A quick solution may seem desirable, but  quick fixes may allow the circumstance to resurface.  Time can potentially bring clarity and maturity.
  • Have I invited God to take over my circumstance? God must become an active participant in your circumstance.  He may be using your experience to remind you that without Him, you can do nothing.  Why not pray for His personal involvement right now?

Asking these three questions may make the difference in your circumstance.

MapQuesting God

September 22, 2010 in Communication with God, Disappointment, Faith, Fear, God, Life, Perspective, Relationship with God, Thoughts, Tragedy, Trials with 2 Comments

Why does God feel distant?  Why is God remaining silent?  Why does it feel like God has abandoned me?  These are questions I have asked plenty of times since becoming a follower of Jesus.   Typically these questions begin surfacing when an unforeseeable circumstance arises and the outcome cannot be governed by me.  I may pray for divine intervention, but when rescue does not arrive quickly I doubt God’s nearness.  I may search the Scriptures for peace, but when the answer is not clear I am overcome with confusion and bitterness.  I may seek wise counsel for clarity, but when the explanations are unsatisfactory I am filled with uncertainty.

I’ve been contemplating this dilemma lately.  Is there a way that these questions can be reconciled?  I believe there is a clear answer.  My feelings do not determine truth. In other words, the way I feel is not an accurate reflection of reality.  David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words in Psalm 37:25, “Once I was young, and now I am old.  Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned….”  According to Scripture, God NEVER forsakes or abandons the righteous.  Although I may feel alone in my circumstance, the truth is that God will NEVER leave me.

God’s proximity is not measured by my perspective, but by His promise.

A Timely Intervention

September 13, 2010 in Thoughts, Trials, Weakness with 2 Comments

Have you ever experienced a time of silence before God because you could not find the words to pray?  Oftentimes this silence is caused by the despair and agony set in motion by weakness, confusion, or trial.  These feelings usually result in us depending on close friends and family to pray on our behalf that God would deliver us from our misery or provide clear direction for the future; however, it is important for us to remember that God the Holy Spirit also prays on our behalf.  Paul writes in Romans 8:26 (NKJV), “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”  The word intercession carries the idea of intervention.  The Holy Spirit actually intervenes in the circumstance because we are too weak to handle it and He offers up groanings to God which cannot be expressed in words.  In some supernatural way, we are provided with strength in our weakness through the prayers or groanings of the Holy Spirit.  It is the Spirit’s prayer that we follow the will of God in the midst of our pain or confusion (Romans 8:27).  The Holy Spirit’s prayers do not necessarily guarantee the removal of circumstances, they do remind us that God is at work through good and bad times.

Ultimately, strength is discovered in knowing that “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Having trouble finding words to express your anguish or turmoil?  Take comfort in knowing that the Holy Spirit is praying for you and that God will cause all things, even bad things, to work out for good.

Finding Strength When There is None

September 1, 2010 in Tragedy, Trials, True Stories, Weakness with 0 Comments

Scripture has the unique ability to bring peace into a chaotic life.  I love it when I come across one of those verses in the Bible that brings me strength when I’m feeling weary.  Today, I just wanted to share these few verses with you from Isaiah 40.  Make sure you take a couple minutes to meditate on these words and allow the Holy Spirit to make application in your own life.

28 Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Feeling weary or tired today?  Are you worn out and ready to give up?  Remember that God gives power to those who are weak when they put their trust in Him.

Suffering in Style?

August 25, 2010 in Faith, God, Tragedy, Trials, True Stories with 7 Comments

Sometimes I think my life is hard. I bet you also think life is difficult at certain times. You and your husband are not getting along. The kids are out of control. Bills are piling up. Your health is deteriorating. You feel that the best part of your life is behind you and that the future is bleak. A major crisis has taken over your life.

During hardship, it is easy to allow the circumstance to define you, even consume you until there is no hope of escape. But, what if comfort is found in the embrace and not the escape of suffering? What if the way to healing is not running away from but patiently enduring trials? Maybe that is why James writes to suffering believers, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3).

Yesterday, I read these words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 and I think we should read them every time we experience suffering because they capture the essence of a proper perspective. “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

Feeling crushed or overwhelmed by life’s circumstances? It may be time to stop running and start relying.

What is your usual reaction to suffering?

The Downside of Success

November 12, 2009 in Faith, Leadership, Prayer, Trials with 0 Comments

We all want it, well, I think most of us do. Success, although I’m not talking about the selfish, self-serving type of success. Regardless of how you define success in your particular vocation, success seems to be a term thrown around in our world today – successful businessman, successful parent, successful pastor, successful marriage, successful church, and whatever else you can add. With all this talk about being successful, is there a downside? I believe there can be. There is a great story in the Bible concerning the downside of success found in 1 Kings 18-19. Elijah, the prophet of God during the reign of Ahab (874-853 BC), spoke out against Israel’s worship of false gods, including Baal. Ahab is called the most evil king than all who were before him (1 Kings 16:30) and also the one who angered God more than any other king prior to his rule (16:33). This was spoken of Ahab because he was the one responsible for dragging Israel into the worship of false gods. As a judgment, God caused a three and a half year drought to come upon Israel. Toward the end of the drought, Elijah called for the 450 prophets of Baal to meet him on Mount Carmel where there was a showdown to determine which god was true – Baal or the God of Israel (1 Kings 18:20-40). In a miraculous display of power, Elijah called down fire from heaven and God demonstrated that He was the one and only true God. Elijah then had all 450 prophets of Baal executed for their part in leading Israel into the worship of false gods (1 Kings 18:40). After this monumental event in Elijah’s ministry, God caused it to rain again in response to the prayers of Elijah (1 Kings 18:41-46). Most people would read this and think, success.

However, when you turn the page, Elijah is being threatened by Ahab’s evil wife, who basically promises that she will have Elijah killed as he had killed the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:1-2). Forgetting about the supernatural displays of power he had just witnessed, Elijah becomes fearful of Jezebel, runs for his life (19:3), and begs God to kill him (19:4). What happened? I believe two things are clear in this story: 1) success is often followed by an immediate challenge, and, 2) past success does not guarantee future success. Elijah forgot that the God who sent fire from heaven was the same God who could deliver him from his current situation.

I wonder if I’ve forgotten…

Dead End Leaders

August 26, 2009 in Attitude, Determination, Failure, Family, Funny Stories, Leadership, Perspective, Relationships, Transition, Trials, True Stories, Weakness with 0 Comments

Yesterday I took my two kids on a bike ride because, well, it is our new favorite thing to do and I believe they enjoying spending some time with me as much as I enjoy spending time with them. Now every day when I get home from work, both my son and daughter beg me to take another bike ride. So yesterday, instead of traveling the normal route around our neighborhood, I decided to take them on a new, exciting adventure in order to explore the unknown – the woods. Hoping there would be a decent bicycle path amongst the tall trees near our house, all three of us set out on an adventure; however, my children had no idea what I had planned. As we approached the deep, dark forest my seven and nine year old became a little concerned about entering a place where they had never been; in fact, they objected and made statements like, “I don’t want to go in there.” I assured them that there had been no recent snake attacks in our area, so we finally proceeded into the canopy of trees. After only traveling a short distance, the trail ended so we backtracked and took a side trail I had spotted several yards back, which ended up leading to another dead end. Determined to find a clear path, I led us along the edge of the trees until we had descended down a hill where we were met with yet another dead end. By this time, my kids were clearly frustrated with me and at one point, my daughter (who is always brutally honest) put her bike down on the ground and said, “I’m tired and I want to go home NOW!” I knew it was time to abandon my plan for discovery and exploration. Dejected and a little frustrated that my plan for exploring new paths had failed, we all pedaled home. Based on yesterday’s failure, I was certain that they would not want to embark on another bicycle journey; however, when I arrived home this evening, they asked if we were going on a bike ride.

Has the person who is your leader (a boss, teacher, parent, or pastor) led your business, classmates, family, or church to several dead ends? If so, maybe he or she needs you to ask to go on another bike ride.

Mission (finally) Accomplished

August 18, 2009 in Determination, Fear, Leadership, Life, Motivation, Trials, True Stories with 0 Comments

My front yard was starting to look like a jungle so I figured it was time to bust out the old push mower, even though it had not been a week since I last mowed. I filled it with some gas, pulled the cord, and began cutting stripes into the front yard when suddenly something fell from the sky and hit me in the head and then in the back. Great! Over-sized drops of rain were falling at unusual speeds making each drop feel like it was piercing through my skin. I didn’t want to leave my grass half finished (what would the neighbors think?) so I continued on in the rain (which eventually stopped) until the job was completed.
Far too many people run for cover when the rain begins to fall leaving things half finished. It may be time for you to, once again, pull the cord and finish what you started.

A Needle, A Nurse, and Near Death

July 30, 2009 in Funny Stories, Tragedy, Trials, True Stories with 0 Comments

When my wife made an appointment for me at the doctor, I just pictured a brief visit which would end with me receiving a prescription for some medication. Since last Friday I have felt a little under the weather so I decided that it was time for me to get checked out, especially when I considered that I’d be traveling out of the country next week. Upon my doctor’s arrival in the room he did all the regular actions such as look in my ears and throat as well as ask me questions about my symptoms. After the examination was complete he gave me the verdict – some kind of a sinus infection. “No problem,” I thought. “Just give me the meds and I’ll be on my way.” Then without warning I heard him use the word “shot.” The rest of his instructions got lost following the ultimate doctor curse word. Even the mention of a needle sends cold chills throughout my body.

After my doctor left the room, a nurse appeared in the doorway with what I swear was the world’s longest and pointiest needle. I had already taken my jacket off to give her quick access to my arm because I believed this would expedite the process. “Which hip do you want it in?” she asked with a smile on her face. “Excuse me,” I thought in my mind. Did she just say “in the hip”? I cautiously stood to my feet but she must have noticed the apprehension in my eyes so she said, “This one doesn’t hurt.” Yeah, right! Anytime sharp objects are punched into someone’s skin it hurts! I don’t care what they told you in nursing school! Oh, and by the way, that wasn’t my hip because my parents didn’t spank my hip! I went to the doctor expecting to get help, not to be put through more agony.

When a person seeks help, that individual doesn’t expect to experience pain in the process; however, the destination of healing is often traveled by way of the path of pain.

Page 1 of 3123»