These things I
have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Jn. 16:33
Consider it pure
joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds…
Jms.1:2
In
order to help children learn math, their teachers give them math problems. God wants us to learn about life, so He
allows us to have life problems. In some
way that we begin to understand in Christ, it is perfect for us to have life
problems. If you are having problems,
you have a wonderful opportunity to grow toward the fullness of the potential
that God has placed within you. When
parents try to eliminate the problems that their children face in life, we see
that it does not help them. We call these children “spoiled”. We would all be
useless if we had never faced and overcome problems; and we would not be happy,
as we are tempted to think. If you are
alive, you should congratulate yourself and be thankful to God. You have survived!
You have already overcome many problems. And all of your ancestors, going all
the way back to Adam and Eve, have also survived, bore children, kept them
alive, so that you could be the repository of all the skills and strength that
they employed to survive. We should
continue our growth to the point that we no longer lament our problems. Our problems are growth knocking on the
door—the breaking of the shell of our outdated understanding. When we take our
problems to Christ—when we bring them into the Light of His teachings and principles—we
always benefit, persevere, even prosper.
I have frequently seen or heard this statement: “Jesus is the
answer.” Jesus will always offer us the
solution to our problems. He will help
us understand what we need to do; or show us that we need to do nothing—just
accept. And He will empower us to do
what we need to do, or to accept. And He
will give us peace in the midst of the problems that He told us we would
have. Life has never been easy. We should not expect life to be easy. Satan wants us to feel like victims. He wants us to believe that God is not
fair. When we look deeply into the
created world—the earth, all its creatures, the sky, the ocean, the sun, stars,
moon, manhood and womanhood, childbirth, flowers, beauty, music, humor, etc.—we
realize that God knows exactly what He
is doing. And since we have been given
the gift of life, we realize that He loves us.
Since God knows what He is doing and loves us, we begin to realize that
our problems are a very important part of the perfection of all things. Then we stop wasting our time complaining
about them and feeling victimized, and start the wonderful process of learning
from them, overcoming them, accepting them, or whatever it is God wants us to
do with them that enhances rather than diminishes the life that Christ died for
us to have. We realize that we can “be of good cheer.” Our problems will never overcome us in
Christ, Who has “overcome the world.”
Even death is a victory for us [1Cor. 15:54-55].
Lord Jesus, we are so thankful
to You for overcoming the world and making Yourself available to us—even to the
end of the age. Please forgive us for doubting the victory we have in You—for
lapsing into complaints and fears. In
obedience to You, we will be of good cheer, knowing that all our trials have
purpose, and that they will soon be over.
Meanwhile, please empower us to bear each other’s burdens and celebrate
the victorious Love You have brought into the world.
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