In terms of my faith, I am well versed in living with a view of eternity. In fact, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4 to “encourage each other with these words”.
That’s because we lose sight of that day when God makes everything right.
This sermon from Grace Road Church in Rochester, NY, explained so much to me this morning. I am always thinking and trying to figure things out. It’s been difficult to understand the “whys” in life when we know we have embraced the Lord and the scriptures and worked hard at doing what he tells us.
Listen tothis sermon about the parable of the wheat and tares. I hope it helps.
Throughout my life, I have been inspired by Christians in history who have endured suffering.
Today, it seems like everyone has a therapist. I’m not against therapy. I only know how the stories of people who did not have access to therapy, but had access to God, has helped me.
I came upon this story of Johan Sebastian Bach. Stories like this tell me if he, along with so many others throughout history can come through loss because they trusted God, I can, too.
“Did you know? Johan Sebastian Bach lost his little daughter and then three sons and then his wife. Then he remarried and then he and his second wife, Anna-Magdalena, lost four more daughters and three sons. Eleven beloved children.
Many researchers have wondered: how Bach managed to handle these losses? How did he not stop breathing, how did his heart not stop? And most importantly, how could he continue to write music? Kantati, cello suites, masses, concerts… The most beautiful music the world has heard. Do you know how he did it?
At the end of the his music, he always wrote “Soli Deo gloria” (Glory to God alone) and in the beginning, “Lord help.” Therefore, you can pray during Bach’s music because the music itself is prayer. You could, then, consider Bach’s music a conversation between man and God. How do you deal with pain? Worship is the best solace.” – Karl Bastian
There was a time when my world view was pretty blissful.
It wasn’t because I was sheltered from pain. It was because my personality was to accept and move on.
I believed doing good would reap good. This is often true. But life is not so neat and tidy like that. Because bad can happen to anybody at anytime for no particular reason.
That’s because of sin. That’s because the world is broken. We are broken. There is a kind of physical “law” in place which our world is immersed in: the effects of sin. God promises not to keep us from it, but to be with us in it.
We should certainly avoid sin at all costs. The Bible guides us in this. We make choices everyday to do wrong or right. Yet, we will fail and it can cause us trouble.
But other people fail and it can cause us trouble, too.
After losing my oldest adult son 18 years ago to suicide, my heart and everything I thought I knew was shattered. He, along with my other children, were raised in a family centered church. We were first generation Christians who wanted to see our children anchored to their faith in God and living their lives better than we did. I once taught a class on praying for your children – and believe me – I prayed constantly for them.
How can these things happen when you’ve covered all the bases?
Because-
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55
We walk in as much light as we have. We may not do everything correctly as we follow the scriptures the way we understand them. But once God shows us how we are thinking is wrong, we must step back and trust we don’t have all the answers.
The scriptures that I thought was having faith gave way to the scriptures of what real faith is. Even though others around me were still doing their “prayers of faith”, believing for “complete healing” and such, my prayers of faith took a u-turn and I went a different way.
While the church was singing “I Surrender All” one Sunday, I wanted to say, “Do you? Do you really? Do you know what that might mean?”
Growing in faith when you have good outcomes is one thing. Growing in faith when you don’t is another thing.
Maybe it’s our western world culture. We are conditioned to grab hold of the shiny object we want when we should be grabbing the hem of Jesus’ garment. Either way, there is room for both. We can ask God for good things. But we have to be ready when the affect of living in a sinful world will knock us off our feet.
I found comfort in the scriptures of God’s protection. Until I realized it doesn’t necessarily mean from suffering but in suffering.
But there’s more.
The affects of sin is far greater than I thought. It touches every human being in some way. And I think when we have a greater understanding of this, we are more able to forgive (that’s for another day).
We are all prisoners to this world of sin. Yes, we see God’s presence in all the beauty around us. But we also have loss, sorrow, and death.
For now, the world is locked into its present state. But that’s not the end.
One day, God will break the hold of sin on the world.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
When we are suffering because of sinful humanity in a sinful world, we should remember this promise. We have centuries of believers who have suffered greatly and endured.
“To choose to be optimistic or pessimistic is to set up a confirmation bias of your own mind to view the world the way you want it.”
-AzaRaskin
I am optimistic by nature. It’s natural for me to have hope and believe for the best.
My favorite chapter in the Bible has always been Hebrews 11, known as the faith chapter. I was inspired by these men and women of faith who believed. They resonated with my optimism and active lifestyle.
After the Jesus Movement of the 60’s, evangelical, charasmatic, and/or non-denominational churches sprung up everywhere. People wanted more of their church experience. Not to be entertained, but to know God in deeper and richer ways, understanding throughout the scripture that God wanted this, too.
Many of these churches emphasized faith and/or word-of-faith.
But faith can really be optimism and not faith at all.
Hebrews 11 lists the exploits of men and women who had faith. They were “history makers” and “moved mountains”… all the things you hear in many churches today. I think this resonates with our Western minds. Compared to other cultures, we excel at burning the candle at both ends.
But then, the end of Hebrews 11 says this:
“They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.”
What? Why? Look at all they did for God. If this happened to them, could it happen to me? But what about all the promises found in the scripture of God’s protection, etc., etc.? What about the full armor of God? What about asking anything in Jesus’ Name?
Can our faith really be optimism viewing the world the way we want it?
When our world has been shattered, when it didn’t turn out the way we had prayed for, there is no optimism. Only pain and sorrow. But in the abyss, we can find real faith.
It’s not easy for Christians with the sword of the spirit in one hand and the shield of faithin the other hand to hear hard truths.
Faith isn’t based only on good outcomes. There is real suffering that goes on in the world and not everyone who prays in Jesus’ Name receives what they want or need.
If we say one day in His courtsis better than a thousand elsewhere, then perhaps one day in the abyss with God is better than anywhere else. Emmanuel, God with us, who promises never to leave us or forget us.
The abyss only reveals Him in the way you’ve wanted to know Him all along. The shadow that hid His face from you for so long is gone. You would never have seen Him completely had you not entered the abyss.
God sees the shattered pieces all around you and promises He will take care of that. If not here, the promise of eternity when He will wipe away every tear.
Amazing how the darkness can show us the true way.
I wrote a lot in those days. My family and I were grieving. This was written 5 months after the death of my oldest son.
I had to go back to another blogging site to find this particular post. To find it, I had to look through what I had written at the time. I could not read through the entries. My body tensed up just scanning the titles.
This entry was particularly significant. It was true then and it’s true now. It encapsulates all that a Christian discovers when their heart is shattered. They see in a different way because they are on a new path with unfamiliar scenery. And for the very first time, they feel the presence of God in a way never felt before.
If God is always doing a “new thing”, maybe we should start by sitting at the feet of shattered, suffering Christians and ask them “what do you see?”
Behold the Father who sits on the throne and the Son at His right hand.
Had I not traveled this path, I would not be seeing this side of His throne. I would not have seen the reflection of His glory on this side of His face. I would have been unaware of the way His right hand moved toward me to take hold of mine. I would not have noticed the way His smile looked in this kind of light. I would not have seen the tear that dropped from his left eye as He gazed into my heart.
I would not have felt the warmth of His presence from where I was …
I recently read something an anonymous individual wrote about the loss of community in a church they once attended. They had experienced a tragedy which caused them to grieve and this time of year is a reminder. Sadly, they seemed to experience more grief when they felt a void from their church. There seemed to be a lack of understanding and/or a willingness of continued support how they needed it.
How does this happen?
Why does this happen?
When we have not walked someone’s dark, tragic path, when we don’t listen and take the time to ask God to help us to listen and understand, we are smug.
Smugness wants to prop you up while you are collapsing. Smugness puts a band-aid on a hemorrhaging wound. Smugness distances from worldly definitions of things like grief and what it entails.
Without smugness, it will cost you 1 Corinthians love.
Smug people care. But not enough. After all, they have kingdom work to do.
Your tragedy does not fit into their Christian world view. Are they afraid to face the truth because it will interfere with God’s purpose for their life? To execute their gifts and talents for God? And mess everything up?
Christians who understand discipleship, who live a life of faith serving their local church, can be smug and not know it. They hear the scriptures about faith and with good intention, “carry the sword of the spirit” and “go into the enemy’s camp” to stake their claim for the Kingdom of God.
The potential is, they can be so purposeful in their faith, they may not accept anything that looks like you not having faith. They become blinded more and more to the natural realm of humanity, because they have become so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.
I can say all of these things because I’ve been on both ends. Unknowingly smug. Until I learned through what if feels like.
You may have heard there is “no perfect church”. Shouldn’t we expect where there are those imperfections, a willingness to listen and take to heart what people experience? Why should believers, who have spent decades in a local church, feel shunned? Why should they suddenly lose all contact with who they were in community with?
It will pass. But for now, I need to feel it. I want to feel it.
And God understands.
Chris heard the call of God to his generation which was a spoken theme to him and his peers.
Chris was loyal, sincere, and a leader. He stepped up.
Thing is, he didn’t do it the way they thought he should.
He felt it.
I have not been stewing about this for 18 years. My faith has shown me to turn the other cheek and bear this immeasurable burden.
Chris made a choice and I understand that. I am not afraid of the truth.
Yet, there were trusted individuals who contributed to his feeling of rejection, defeat, and disqualification.
This confused him.
And it confused me.
Trying to do the right thing. Think the right thing. Feel the right thing.
Conversations … trying to understand … hollow … and feeling worse.
No more.
God has continued to shield me, protect me, and comfort me. That is my story.
That is everyone’s story who has suffered deep sorrow at the hands of those who lead. God knows.
If you are a Christian, you better have compassion. You better be willing to deny yourself and your fussy ideas in order to accept, receive, and love others. You better understand that making disciples starts with humility. You better be gentle and lowly.
You know, the way Jesus showed us.
Otherwise, you are loud brass and clanging cymbals.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the human heart yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Leaders have natural abilities. It’s in their blood and they know it. By very virtue of this, leaders will often push back on criticism.
A leader who commits to the scriptures as guidance will see this and allow the Lord to help. This is the first part of humility – humility before God – acknowledging what He says when we don’t like it.
Imagine for a moment, that everything a leader is trying to accomplish, is stifled and limited because of a lack of humility.
God has a lot to say about humility. There is a cause and effect relationship. Humility releases something powerful in our lives. It affects the leader but it also affects those who are being led.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted …
God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble …
The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is just” …
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts …
Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned from him …
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD …
The second part of humility is a natural outcome of the first part: humility with those who are being led.
It is a great responsibility to be a leader. Leaders feel the weight. Leadership is a powerful position in government, businesses, churches, communities, families, and even within our friend groups.
This writing prompt is very timely because in recent years there’s been a lot of writing on the topic of spiritual abuse. Some have been hurt by church leadership. I’ve been thinking about it and will write my thoughts next time.
… and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.
Truth is not a nebulous concept. It is active. It has a cause and effect.
There is a fundamental relationship between us and truth.
Facing the truth is hard for many of us. We are afraid. We want to avoid. We want to pretend.
Thing is, those responses take more energy than accepting the truth. We can go the rest of our lives with unnecessary baggage by avoiding the truth when all along, God designed truth to make us free.
Free from what?
Free from being plagued with the emotional burdens that can lead to misery, anger, bitterness, or resentment.
Humans are and always will be susceptible to weaknesses. It doesn’t matter how educated or intelligent we are. We are prone to getting it wrong.
How often we don’t turn to God, the Creator, the one who made us, who knows how we operate, and has given us guidance on how to live life. The fact that we, like children, go a different way than what the parent tells us to do, says it all.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
When we know the truth, when we accept it, whether it is believing in God and the Bible, or facing the truth of something that may be very difficult, having the courage to face it and trusting that God will do what he says – will make us free.
when it hurts 