My son is assembling a computer from scratch these last couple of days, and it's pretty complicated as it requires some custom fitting for certain parts, even needing some 3D printing. We've been making progress over the past few days. I was thinking, "Perhaps I should just finish it for him today as he's out at school. He'd like that." But immediately the thought came to mind: it is A LOT more valuable to do it TOGETHER with him. There's very little value to me sitting there alone and finishing it for him myself, even if he has a temporary delight when he sees it done. That delight is fleeting, but the time we spend together working through it will LAST.
And I saw: God delights in us walking through things TOGETHER with Him, leaning on Him, seeing His ways, listening and obeying at each step. There's so much value in that which we often don't realize. How much glory it brings to God through our leaning, and how much refining of ourselves, and closeness to the Lord come through all of that. When all the while in our immaturity we're often thinking, "I just want to get past this."
In the world there's a saying, "Life is what happens while you're busy making plans." Basically the phrase is trying to say, “It's easy to be so anxious, focusing on what’s going to happen in the future, that we neglect and miss the opportunity of what is happening right now”.
I believe we can tweak this phrase to a spiritual Christian perspective: "Walking with God is what happens while you're busy trying to get out of your trials."
"Don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time" (Matthew 6:34 TLB).
LONGING FOR SUFFERING TO BE OVER
We can often struggle with the thought, “Why is nothing happening after so long? Why is God not doing anything? We can think that God is silent, but He’s not. He’s saying something. He’s saying, “My will is for you to walk together with Me through this." That’s a lot more valuable than an immediate answered prayer.
Deuteronomy 20:4 "for the LORD your God is the one who goes WITH you..."
An important question I have to ask myself is: Is my relationship with Jesus more important than relief from my suffering?
Jesus said there's really only one thing necessary for us (Luke 10:42). And I’ve found it very comforting to recognize - that whatever my trial is, it’s not nearly as important as the “one thing necessary”.
The Lord has a purpose for why my life looks exactly like it does, and it has to do with that one thing.
Take a moment and think of all the things you wish you could change in your life, if you could. Then consider this encouragement (which I believe is another way of paraphrasing Romans 8:28-29):
“If any other situation were better for you than the one you are in now, Divine love would have put you there already” (Charles Spurgeon)
Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren."
It’s easy to get used to hearing Romans 8:28 and because we’re so familiar with it, to forget how much of a blessed promise we have in Christ. That we have a Father in Heaven that would have changed many things in our life if it were better for us; eternally. And if it brought Him more glory. But He allowed everything that has come, with specific PURPOSE.
What we think is good for ourselves is very different than what actually is good for ourselves. So we have to surrender to God’s ways.
In my self-centeredness in the past, I've always felt that my main problem was 'my trials'. And if I could just get past them then I figured, everything would be good then. I thought, "THEN I could really walk with God once this season is over." But I saw: that day never comes. The season ends, but something else comes up. There's never an end to it! And after years of this I finally saw that my main problem isn't what's outside of me - my trials, it's what's inside of me - my sin.
If we really desire God's glory above all, and trust Him, then we will be content with His ways - and instead of fighting for ourselves, we will surrender our will and leave our well-being to Him. Our good is His business now, not ours.
"He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him."
BROKENNESS
Our struggling is doing so much good in us to make us like Jesus (if we submit to it)! Giving us a humility, a need for God, patience and mercy with others as we see our own weakness. Teaching us to be strong and persevere. It’s like a great spiritual PhD-level education.
Paul was broken with a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7-9), which was probably really poor eyesight or blindness - Gal 4:15. Out of everyone in the world in all of history who needed their eyesight you’d think the Apostle Paul needed it the most!! But God’s ways aren’t our ways. God had to keep him broken. Paul carried that brokenness with him everywhere. Jacob had to be broken and carry the limp with him. I believe Peter's brokenness that he carried was the knowledge that he denied Jesus 3 times.
Brokenness is good for us because we carry with us a reminder of how weak we are, so that we have no other option but to lean on the Lord and "walk with Him" - to stay close to Him, and give Him all the glory when He does do some good through us, and not to think we are anything.
I don’t believe this comes all at once, I believe it’s a growth in faith. Trying to do this all at once is like someone entering the gym for the first time and trying to lift 300 pounds of weight. It takes time, so we shouldn’t be discouraged. Keep pressing on! Year by year we will see a progress in our consistency, and intimacy with the Lord.
CONCLUSION
One of the greatest spiritual advantages we can have is a difficult life, in some area. For some it's family or relationships, for some it's financial or job situations, for some it's physical or mental health issues, etc. Yours is probably different than anyone else. For each of us, we may not know anyone else with a struggle exactly like ours. But God allowed it specifically for us, and if He hasn't answered yet, then I believe He's saying, 'Walk with me through this.' That means: trust, and obey, one step at a time.
Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."
Everything is a season. Whether in this life or the next, this season will be over. But today, we can walk with Him. May we never let these precious days walking with Jesus waste away.