Three Reasons Why You’re Going To Make It
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about my life and ministry, especially over the past two years. To be honest, I don’t see much fruit; only disaster, heartache, and a significant amount of pain. Truthfully, there have been many times I told myself that there’s no way I’m going to make it through this difficult season.
Brokenness, pain, turmoil, conflict, depression, darkness, discouragement, heartache, anger, disillusionment, and betrayal are just a few words that come to my mind as I reflect on my recent past. However, instead of dwelling on these discouraging realities, I’m choosing to focus on what God is doing and will continue to do through all of these unfortunate sets of circumstances. What you see as a setback, God can use as a setup for his power to be released in your life.
“The moment you think that God is done with you is the moment that Jesus is beginning to do something new”
The thought I once had as a new follower of Jesus has long since left my mind: “Because I’m a Christian, life will become easier.” Nothing could be further from the truth. (If you disagree with me, that’s okay. Live life a little bit longer, then we’ll come back for another conversation, perhaps over coffee. Your mindset may have shifted by then). Life in Christ doesn’t work that way. In fact, Jesus tells us quite differently when he says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Jesus is plain and clear: in this life you will have trouble. There will be an incredible amount of pain and suffering that you will go through as a follower of Jesus. But, Jesus doesn’t leave us there. He says, “In me you will have peace.”
You will have peace through the difficulties of this life to the extent and degree that you have peace with God. If you have peace with God, that is, you’re living in a restored relationship with God through Jesus, then no matter what comes your way in this life, you can have peace.
Here are three ways that I know you will make it.
#1 Jesus Promises To Be With You
One of the greatest promises in the Bible is the promise that Jesus will always be with you. Jesus never promises to eradicate the pain we experience in this broken world, nor does he gloat over it as if it doesn’t exist. Jesus says to us, “I’ll be with you even to the close of the age” (cf. Matthew 28:20).
Like the Hebrew children who were thrown into the fire, God didn’t take them out of the fire; he joined them in it (cf. Daniel 3:8-30). God doesn’t want us to live ostracized lives from the broken realities of this world; rather, he desires that we live in the midst of the darkness, expelling the evil around us by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
God doesn’t take you out of trouble, he comes to you in trouble. He doesn’t take you out of conflict, he remains with you in conflict. He doesn’t prevent you from experiencing pain, he comes to you in the pain, and says to you, “What was meant for evil, I will use for your good” (Genesis 50:20).
The mystery of God unfolds all around us. God is at work through every situation in your life, and what the enemy has used to destroy you, God will use to build you.
#2 Jesus Promises To Perfect You
God not only promises to be with you, he also promises to perfect you. Now, this doesn’t mean that we will reach a state of perfection in this life whereby the grace of God is no longer needed. As long as we live on this side of heaven, God’s grace will always be needed, precisely because the work of God started in our baptism continues every day until he brings us home into our eternal dwelling place.
Jesus perfects us when we die to ourselves, saying “no” to our carnal flesh, and live for him in the Spirit. He is pleased when we condemn carnal living and live for righteousness and truth. He is honored and takes up residence in us as we take up our cross daily to follow Jesus.
In our baptisms, we were crucified with Christ, that is, we were buried with him in his death. That means that we were dead – dead in our trespasses and our sins. But, as we were raised out of the water, we were redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus and have been given a new life. Our life is now hidden with Christ in God (cf. Colossians 3:1-11). And every day that we are given life is a day in which the Holy Spirit continues his work in us.
God is perfecting you. God is working in you. God is not done with you yet.
#3 Jesus Promises To Sustain You
Jesus promises not only to be with you and to perfect you; Jesus promises to sustain you, too. The good Lord will not allow any evil to befall you, nor will he let your foot slip so that the enemy rejoices over you. The Lord of Hosts will sustain you in his everlasting grace.
I can imagine the sound of many voices declaring their worship and praise to the Lord as the Jews would make their way into Jerusalem for the Great Festival: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121).
There is great comfort found in this Psalm of praise. In summary, the God who brought you to life-saving faith in Jesus is the same God who will sustain you in and through this broken life.
There is no evil that will harm you, no darkness that will prevail over you. Why? Because the Lord watches over you and sustains you in his grace.