It’s okay not to be okay, but it’s not okay to stay there. I believe this is the perfect statement to laminate the state of my life currently and many alike in similar circumstances. I believe many reach this point of not being okay and staying there due to social media, TV, and the lack of vulnerability and emotional openness amongst our peers. Many have believed this false narrative that life’s supposed to be perfect and that we’re not supposed to go through anything. So when we do go through unwanted situations, we’re in a state of disbelief, due to us not being able to fathom that we’re actually suffering through something.
Growing up, I always thought life would be perfect every day due to all the movies I watched. But when bad things occurred in my life, I wasn’t okay. In this state, I succumbed to self-pity, questioned if God was real or good, and was left broken and hopeless in the aftermath of my circumstances. This is just a fraction of what our lows in this life are capable of bringing us to. So is there anything positive we can actually gain from our sorrow and suffering? This is the question that kept ringing in my head continually during my circumstances of suffering. Yet, Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) says:
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Many of us can attest to during our battles with bad times and suffering. There comes a point, when all the pain and hurt have brought us to our wit’s ends and we’re all left with a choice:
“Turn our focus inward and be consumed with self-pity and bitterness or lift our eyes and watch the Redeemer make all things new.” – Matt Chandler
We can keep staring at the spot where our treasure sank, or we can watch the ripples to see what God is doing.
If you are anything like me, when you are suffering, “learning” isn’t at the top of your to-do list. After a while in my suffering, I kept wondering, “What is this situation trying to show me; what is God trying to show me?” And not, “Why is this happening to me?” Honestly, it was hard trying to transition my mind to this state and it’s really hard to keep my mind in this mindset continually.
But I remember there’s nothing to learn or gain when our self-pity and sadness swallow us whole.
So what can we learn? Throughout the Bible, there are instances of people suffering through challenging or horrible things, but they come out on the other side of those things with knowledge and appreciation for God. So what are going to gain?
My words can aid you momentarily, but God can aid and assist you continually and forever. We all may lose hope in the midst of trials or suffering. We may question, “Why us and not someone else?” Maybe we have to go through some of the things we do, otherwise, how would we learn certain things or gain the necessary pruning God is trying to provide for our good? We may long for peace and hope, however, peace comes from trusting GOD, even if we don’t understand His ways.
Real hope is not a guarantee of certain outcomes in this life, but rather the assurance that the One who is perfectly wise and perfectly good holds the outcomes in his almighty hand. – Matt Chandler
