Becoming a Christian does not give you a free pass out of trouble.
For those who have just given their lives to Christ, this can take a while to understand. But many of those who have walked with the Lord for a considerable amount of time have come to realise that just because you are a Christian, doesn’t mean things will always go your way, be easy, comfortable or free of challenge.
But this doesn’t change the fact that when we are faced with troubling situations we still expect the Lord to take us out, and quickly. When He doesn’t we begin to question Him.
As Christians, it is important to understand that trouble is promised, as Jesus say in John 16:33 (NKJV)…in the world you will have tribulation. So trouble and trials are not something we can avoid.
Therefore, the issue is not how can you get out of tribulation but what you can learn whilst you are in it.
What Tribulation Teaches
When we are faced with trying situations our first instinct is to want to get out them swiftly. Rarely do we ever pause to think about what the tribulation is teaching us about ourselves or God. Rarely do we allow the tribulation to shape us and strengthen us for a future guaranteed to be filled with even more trouble.
Yet as Christians that is what we should do.
Instead of resisting what is inevitable in this fallen world, we must embrace difficulty and allow it to better us.
Of course, this is a wonderful idea in theory but practicing it is another story entirely. The truth is that it’s not easy to find peace of mind, joy or a sense of comfort in tribulation.
But the good thing is that it’s not up to you to will such feelings into being. Rather, you must look to God and ask Him to help get you to that place.
Lean Into God’s Strength
When you are in the middle of a troubling and uncomfortable situation, regardless of how big or small, you must lean into the Lord. This may mean starting to seriously prioritise the Word by making it a point to read it before you begin the day. Or spending more time in prayer and communion with God, not just in your quiet time but also as you go about your day.
When you do this you provide yourself with mental weaponry against any spiritual and psychological attacks that come during tribulation. Instead of meditating on your troubling situation, you then begin to meditate on God’s Word, reminding yourself of His promises and thank Him for filling you with strength to face the challenge.
Doing this will open the door for the Holy Spirit to work and move freely in you and in your situation. That may not mean you will be taken out of the trouble, but it does mean that God will be guiding you through it.
God Will See You Through
If life me anything, it’s that sometimes God won’t take you out of tribulation but He will see you through it.
He will grace you with peace that surpasses all understanding and supernatural strength to do what you feel you cannot do.
And that really should be our first prayer as Christians. Not for things to be easier or less difficult but that God would equip us to face the challenge. We must pray that that in the midst of the struggle He molds us so that we become more like His son.
We must pray that He helps us to be patience, endure and persevere and learn how to hold on to a never-disappointing hope. (Romans 10:5:5)
When you lean on His strength and allow Him to use difficult and trying situations to strengthen you, you will receive deliverance.
Not Out But In
When you think of deliverance you might think of being delivered out of something, like the Egyptians were delivered out of Egypt. But in some cases God will not deliver you out of a situation but in a situation.
He will deliver you from the fear that always haunted you, the anxiety that always hindered you, the self pity you always held on to. He will deliver you and transform you until you are even surprised by the person you see in the mirror.
Just as diamonds form under great heat and pressure, we are transformed by the pressures of our tribulation. But only if we allow ourselves to be.
Only if we take God’s hand and let Him to do the good work that He wants to do in us. When we do this, only then, will we see 1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV) come to pass in our lives.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
