For whatever reason, several friends of mine have recently gone through some troubling rough patches of life.
However, the troubling thing for me isn’t the fact that they are going through these instances, even though I feel terrible about what they’re dealing with.
No, what concerns me the most is how some of them are trying to cope with these real-life dilemmas.
Fortunately, some of them are realizing they are simply experiencing life, and are resolving to dig deeper into their faith.
Yet others appear to be either questioning their own faith, or doubting God really exists or cares about them.
What bothers me about the latter group is I fear they are putting undue pressure on themselves.
And though I’m not certain, I think a lot of this stems from our lack of understanding about how God works in our lives.
Now, I definitely don’t have all the answers myself, but I do know that sometimes the best “answer” to a problem isn’t necessarily knowing the answer, but more importantly, knowing where to look for that answer.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I think about life’s struggles, my mind automatically turns to the number-one struggler in the Bible – Job.
To make a long story short, Job’s life story is a direct result of a challenge between Satan and God.
At some point, Satan basically tells God that Job – who was one of the most extremely faithful, righteous and prosperous figures in that time – is only that way because God had built a “wall around” and “blessed” Job’s life, and essentially contends that if Job didn’t have it so good he wouldn’t be so righteous and faithful to God.
Well, obviously knowing He can’t lose any challenge, God gives Satan permission to test Job’s faith and righteousness.
And test him he did.
But even after all his possessions are stolen or destroyed, ten of his children are killed and his entire body is covered with gruesome sores – not to mention, the whole time his wife is telling him to just give up – Job never relents, and blesses the name of the Lord more than ever.
Of course, the story ends with Job’s health being completely restored, with a new family and twice as many possessions as before, but the moral of the story is that during the trials, Job never tried to fight with his power.
He realized that regardless of what he did, he wasn’t equipped to prevent life’s tests and simply trusted that it was all a part of God’s plan.
When you think about it, it’s a ridiculous notion to think we can do anything without His power; after all, He is the One who gave us everything we have in the first place.
But the point is that regardless of our situation, as terribly crushing to our emotions and senses as they can be at times, we have to trust that the Lord has our back – even (especially) when we can’t understand why.
We all go through seasons.
Some seasons yield tremendous harvesting of fruit, others not so much.
But let this give us great hope: When all of its leaves have rusted and fallen away, not much looks more “dead” than the lifeless, oak tree in the middle of winter.
However, that same old, gray piece of dead wood literally jumps to life in the heart of spring.
Friends, if you happen to be going through a rough patch, one in which seems to be overwhelmingly hopeless or frustratingly impossible, or one in which makes you doubt yourself or your faith, force yourself to take a timeout.
Think about Job, and how God once allowed one of the most faithful people on the planet to endure unthinkable misery to prove He can ultimately and eternally redeem and renew.
Or think about how God – despite how bleak and discouraging circumstances may look – is able to work incredible beauty out of the completely dreadful, whether it’s Job, an oak tree or you.
But whatever you do, please don’t assume God has deserted you just because He seems to be inexplicably ignoring your situation and your persistent prayers.
In fact, if you’re feeling God’s absence, it may be proof He is trying to tell or show you something bigger than your current hardship.
My prayer is that you at least consider that you might just be in a season in which you appear to be deteriorating, but instead, you are actually experiencing significant – and maybe even necessary – growth for the future.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4
A Changing Grace 