When life starts becoming difficult, it doesn’t feel like it was once before, and God doesn’t seem to answer your request of a better tomorrow or set of circumstances. Does our walk still embody the characteristics of Jesus? Recently, I was conflicted when someone told me about a revelation they experienced from God. It was a story that delved into how their life was currently very difficult, and how they slowed down in their walk with God by focusing on their issues and circumstances amidst their trials.
During said difficult time, they let their responsibilities to people who they were over spiritually or continually prayed for slide, due to their needing to care for themselves and being at odds with God about God’s will for their life as of the time. They themselves and their challenging circumstances had become their sole focus.
They believed that the hard difficulties they were enduring excused them from the people and responsibilities God had placed under them. But God reminded them otherwise, and through that individual, God reminded me otherwise.
I believe many of us have endured a difficult time or two in our lives and can attest that our focus, faith, and hope didn’t resemble Jesus’ when we endured an obstacle or season of life that wasn’t so pleasant. I have and I am, still. During this season I’ve felt like God wasn’t near or my prayers were falling on deaf ears due to me seeing no change or way of escape. When I heard this person’s revelation, I saw all of who and what I had let go of – the things and people I excused myself from. From my time with God to my reverence for Him in my life, and most notably my faith. My internal belief of “How could I care for others if I’m no good myself?” led me to this state of self-reliance and distrust in God. This was the constant theme of the thoughts and excuses I gave myself when life got hard or I was going through something difficult: I felt that I could forget about everyone else and focus solely on myself.
I needed to develop the mindset of I’m going through something difficult currently, I have a duty to the others counting on me, and God will bring me out. This never crossed my mind because I felt that mine and God’s will for my life currently were different.
But I believe a lot of instances and choices within our lives entail us choosing God’s will over our will even when our circumstances may not be pleasant (Luke 22:42 NLT). It all comes down to us choosing and obeying God no matter how difficult that may be, and in whatever season, trial, or circumstance we all may be in. Psalm 34:17-19 NLT reminds us that God will care for us.
“The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.”
The real question is, will this response suffice for each of us? I’m not preaching that God will make everything turn out to be sunshine and rainbows, but I keep hearing God can make all the bad and good we go through worth it, nothing we endure will be wasted (Romans 8:28 NIV). God cannot always spare us and those around us and simultaneously complete His redemptive work in those around you or you. So will we learn to obey God or continually serve others still through our trials or pain? What are these things truly teaching us (Hebrews 5:8)? I understand the bad things we all will go through one day may not feel good, but what discipline or sharpening does? But we all can attest to the positives or aspects we learned about God through it (Hebrews 12:11).
I think that’s what it comes down to, disciplining ourselves to take God at his word. Believing what God or the Bible says is just that (Isaiah 55:11 NKJV). Obeying. I believe we’ve all experienced the burdens and effects of not trusting God or adhering to his will for our lives, the choice is yours. (1 Samuel 15:22 NLT) “… Obedience is better than sacrifice…”
