The nineteenth-century preacher Alexander MacLaren once said, “The world takes its notions of God from the people who say that they belong to God’s family. They read us a great deal more than they read the Bible. They see us; they only hear about Jesus Chris.” Sometimes challenges may come our way so that we can demonstrate our abiding faith in Christ to others.
When we suddenly face setbacks and disappointments, we are prone to embrace dread, wondering how it will affect us: Will it cause me pain or cost me money? Will it blemish my reputation or diminish my status? Will I lose my job or the respect of my family? Will I become a failure? A mature Christian quickly takes these thoughts captive and chooses to see things in light of the divine perspective. This God-consciousness becomes an automatic pivot away from our fears and towards the freedom and power that can only come from God’s perspective.
The Apostle Paul wasn’t preoccupied with how his circumstances affected him, and thus he was able to rejoice, even in his difficulties. He knew his difficulties weren’t outside of God’s control or outside of God’s greater purpose (Romans 8:28). With an eternal perspective, Paul saw every struggle as an opportunity and embraced it with confidence: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14).
When Paul suffered, he was fully aware of his purpose, and he trusted that his Heavenly Father was at work. Jesus had told him that His grace was sufficient, and His power would be made perfect through Paul’s weakness. So, Paul declared, “Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12: 10). Paul was very aware of his suffering; he wasn’t living in denial. He just chose to see things through God’s eyes, and his perspective made all the difference.
Genesis 37-50 tells the powerful story of Joseph, a young man sold into slavery by his own brothers and unjustly imprisoned only to be pulled out of his circumstances into a place of power and position where he was able to save his people. After all that Joseph’s family had done to him and all that he had endured, when his brothers fell down before him in fear, he said, “‘As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
By choosing God’s perspective, Joseph not only saw the Lord’s grace and purpose through his trials, he was also able to bless his enemies. That is the power of the Lord perfected through our struggles and a testimony to the influence we can have on the world when we embrace God’s perspective.
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:6-18
Personal Application: The way you choose to view and walk through your disappointments and suffering testifies to what you really believe about the Lord’s will, purpose, and power in your life. Do you embrace dread or pivot to God’s perspective when times get tough? What struggles can you embrace as opportunities today?
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5