When we make the decision to give up everything and follow Jesus, we sometimes think that our commitment to Him will make everything in our lives easier. The truth is, sometimes that commitment makes things harder on us. Neither does that commitment mean that God will build a hedge around us to keep us from experiencing the pain and sorrows of life.
Why then, do we endure life as a Christian if we only have eternity to look forward to? Is it worth it to follow a narrow path, denying ourselves and the pleasures of sin for the reward that we will obtain in the next life? If the sun rises on the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:45), then why live a life now of denial? If following God will not keep our loved ones from hurting and dying, then is the promise of a future reward enough to endure the pain and sacrifices that being a disciple of Jesus will call us to endure?
The truth is, the previous two paragraphs look at life and our commitment to Jesus in an incomplete way. This paradigm presents a faulty choice. It says that if there is pain and hardships when we serve God, then the only benefit of being a Christian comes in the afterlife. But we know that this isn’t true. As children of God, we have a lot to hope for, even in this life. We have access to a Father who loves us and wants to give us a fish rather than a serpent. Listen to how Jesus puts it:
“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13 ESV).
But sometimes when we struggle with mortal health issues, either with ourselves or someone we love, it feels like God is giving us a serpent, doesn’t it? When we lose the job that allows us to provide for our family and feed our children, it feels like God is giving us a scorpion rather than an egg. It is especially important during these times, that we strengthen our faith in God and lean on Him all the more because it is especially in times like these that children of God have the advantage over those who have never entered into a relationship with Jesus.
God has never promised that He will keep us from enduring hardships, but He has promised that He will help us endure them, and in fact, shoulder the burdens of those hardships with us, This is the lesson that Job learned. This is the lesson our Savior taught us as He endured the cup of wrath that led Him to the cross.
So, how do we continue to follow Jesus when we are hurting? Allow me to offer up some biblical perspectives for us to consider:
1. God Wants To Give Us Good: As we learned from Jesus in Luke 11, God wants to give us good things. Our problem is that we don’t always know the difference between a fish and a serpent. What often seems good to us, God understands to be a scorpion. When we don't receive the answers that we want to the prayers we send to Him, we need to have the faith that sometimes a “no” from God is because the answer that is best for us is something that for the moment may seem hard for us to understand as a fish. But Paul says:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 ESV).
2. God Will Shoulder Our Burdens: When we read about how Jesus interacted with His creation, we see that He had compassion on those who were hurting. When we hurt, God hurts for us. And while He may not always stop the thing that is causing us pain, He does promise to give us the strength to endure. He is the true and faithful Friend who walks the lonely road each step of the way with us. He offers His shoulders for us to lean on. Those who are in the world do not have this intimate, wonderful gift to aid them in their painful life moments. Psalms 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” and Peter encourages us with these words:
“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV).
3. Pain Doesn’t Mean That God Doesn’t Care: Sometimes the hardest thing for us to live in peace with is that a good and benevolent God will sometimes allow us to experience pain and hardships when we know He has the power to stop that pain. As we have already said, He promises to walk the painful road with us and burden much of the load for us. But He also promises that when the pain subsides, He will make us stronger having gone through it. And if the times should come that enduring the ultimate pain brings glory to Him, then He will not forget us and the faithful way we endured for Him.
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 ESV).
James sums it up well as he closes his epistle and points our remembrance to the patience of the suffering Job. As we continue to wrestle with the question, “how do I follow Jesus when I am hurting”, remember this encouragement:
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11 ESV).
If you are like me, you read the parables of the stewards and look back on how you have often been the one who buried what the Lord has entrusted to you. And, just as in the parables, Jesus has often removed what He has entrusted to you and has given it to another.
But do not lose heart. For the same Jesus who has taken from you because you buried what He has entrusted to you will give back to you if you repent. Up to 70 times 7 He will lay the talents back into your hands and give you the opportunity to again serve.
For as long as the Lord blesses us with breath to serve, He will give us the gift of service if we desire it, no matter how many times we have failed Him in the past. Truly what a wonderful, generous and loving King we serve.
“'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Luke 19:26 ESV).
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22 ESV).
So, as I am reading in my Bible this morning in John, I am impressed with how many times Jesus heals on the Sabbath Day. Whether He is going out of His way to heal on this day or rather, the Spirit focuses on recording the works He performed on this day, there is one thing that I take away for myself.
Those men who had no desire to consider who He was, would not open their eyes to the truth about the Sabbath. They had a long history that taught them incorrectly about the Sabbath. And rather than be open to what Jesus was teaching, they defended their beliefs, in spite of the divine evidence laid before them.
What about me? Where do I stand in what I hold Holy? Are they the things I was taught for the sake of being taught a doctrine? Or is it because I continue to search, study and meditate on God’s Word? Am I holding to the traditions of my father or am I willing to change if, after reading and studying God’s Word, the Truth convicts me?
May we all have such a love and respect for the Word that we never let man’s doctrines or our own traditions rise to a level that causes us to curse Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. May we never honor a man who taught us more than the Man who is being taught. May we never fear examining our own beliefs to ensure we rest fully in the message of the Son of God.
“Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.” (John 9:16 ESV).
“(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)” (John 9:22 ESV).