It's A Hard Knock Life

"All discipline in the present time does not seem joyous, but painful; but later it will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12.11).

One thing that books, sermons, classes, seminars, and other training will not substitute for is experience. I have read numerous books on how Christians are to respond faithfully to trials, but to read about anguish is something altogether different from experiencing anguish. We tend to look condescendingly on Israel and other persons in Scripture who have lapses in faith when troubles come. God includes these people in Scripture however to remind us of our own tendency to forget God's gracious gift of the gospel. It is simply amazing how quickly we can forget the eternal, heavenly things when temporal, earthly things are in upheaval. How quickly we can move from emotions of joy to emotions of despair.

From my own experience, I have learned the importance of two things. First and most important is the grace of God during trials. Trials truly show how frail our faith is and the only reason we do not come to naught during trials is his committment to us to make us more like Christ. It is during trials that we learn how to be dependent on God, indeed that we must be dependent upon God. It is during trials that we learn his sweetness, his care, and his love in powerful, experiential ways.

Second, I have learned the wisdom of God through how He has designed his church. I am exceedingly thankful that He has divinely appointed Christians to draw near to one another. Our nearness is especially helpful during times of trial. Trials have a tendency to almost paralyze the sufferer. Many pastors and theologians rightly advise that during trials we need to talk to ourselves more than listen to ourselves. The difficult thing is that talking to one's self seems like an impossibility during trials. Hence, God's wisdom in providing spouses, parents, children, and fellow Christians to speak comforting words during our times of forgetfulness.

He has not left us on our own during times of trial. Because of this truth, we can call him Good. We can also be more than conquerors through trials and even welcome them knowing that He is going to sustain us, equip us, and work through us to glorify himself by growing us in Christ-likeness.

Selection from Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

He who has God "is able to make up all his outward wants from worldly comforts from what he finds in himself." As Christians, we are able to do this because of what we have inside of us, namely the Kingdom of God (Luke 17.21). James 4.5 reminds us that God has placed inside of us his Spirit after whom we are to yearn jealously. Christ is the God who frees us from sin so that we may be completely, wholly, totally, and eternally satisfied with Him and through Him.

Two words of instruction come from this teaching. First, Christian, pursue the riches that we have in Christ. There is abundant satisfaction there. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Have you forgotten the great exchange of our sin for his righteousness? Have you forgotten your freedom from the eternal punishment awaiting your death? Have you forgotten the joy of obedience to Christ? Have you forgotten that in him is the treasure of all wisdom and knowledge? Christian, there is too much joy here in Christ!

Second and a gentle rebuke, all of our despair, depression, and sin is directly related to our undervaluing Christ. Do we really think we will have victory over sin, whether it be lust, anger, fear of the future, or discontentment with our present circumstances, if we are not making much of Christ?

O how forgetful we are of what Christ has done for us and who He is! But thanks be to God that he is gracious and will continue to mold our desires into the desires of Christ. Pray that God would give you stronger affections for Christ and then go to the Scriptures and behold the all-satisfying Lord.

Quote from Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

"The way of contentment to a carnal heart is only the removing of the affliction. O that it may be gone! 'No', says the gracious heart, 'God has taught me a way to be content though the affliction itself still continues.'"

Romans 8 teaches us that we, through the power of the Spirit, are more than conquerors even in the midst of affliction. Though God may never remove the affliction in this lifetime, He has graciously granted us rich spiritual blessings so that we do not merely survive during trials, but we thrive.