—Sarah Walton
“Everything in my life always goes wrong! I know God can prevent it if he wants to, so it seems like he enjoys inflicting pain on me.”
Tears welled up in my teenage son’s eyes as these words of discouragement and borderline despair flew out of his mouth.
I caught myself from responding too rashly to his words, knowing those feelings stemmed from a place of lengthy and deep pain. I understood why he felt that way. His life has contained more suffering than many experience in a lifetime. Despite a genuine faith in Jesus for years, he still struggles from the distortions and difficulties that come with a mind suffering from the brokenness of this world. And as the enemy often does, he was clearly working hard to taunt my son with lies when he was most vulnerable.
For an hour we debated back and forth about God’s goodness and love for us when life feels relentlessly brutal. By God’s grace, he equipped my exhausted body and mind with a renewed zeal to share with my son how often I have battled similar feelings, but how the Lord has always proven to be faithful in the end. I then listed all the ways I have seen God’s faithfulness in his life, often in miraculous ways, despite some seemingly hopeless situations. Little by little, my son’s rebuttals lessened and his tone began to soften. We discussed how often we’re tempted to measure God’s love for us by what he does or doesn’t allow in our lives, knowing he is sovereign over it.
By God’s grace, I watched my son’s heart grow tender, his mind begin to see life with a little more perspective, and I saw the light of hope gradually return to his eyes. I left that conversation exhausted, but incredibly grateful for the renewed hope we both walked away with.
Can you relate to my son’s sentiments in response to layered and lengthy trials? Have you found yourself living life through a cynical lens, where every traffic delay, closed door, and unexpected car repair only further confirms your suspicion that God is either a cruel Master or a distant Father?
From firsthand experience, I know these difficult seasons can tempt us to grow cold toward God, doubting his compassion and tender love for us as his children. If we don’t renew our minds with the truth of God’s Word, our suspicion’s will slowly sow roots of unbelief.
Charles Spurgeon said it well: “The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay.”
The intense heat of suffering and trials will either soften our heart and mold us into the image of our Savior, or it will harden our heart in unbelief and bitterness. The difference lies in whether we truly believe God is truly for us. And when we are tempted to believe otherwise, we need to remind our hearts of three foundational truths.
- The Gospel saves us from our greatest source of pain—the eternal consequences of sin. Mankind rebelled against God, ushering sin and brokenness into every facet of this world. We deserve nothing but God’s wrath for sin, but in his great love, he sacrificed his own Son to save us from an eternity of suffering and separation from him. He proved his love, compassion, grace, and favor toward sinners like us on the cross. That must be the lens we view all of our circumstances through.
- We should not be surprised to suffer in a world groaning under the curse of sin. We will suffer in this world. The Bible doesn’t mince words. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We groan in mind, body, and soul because we live in a world groaning under sin’s effects. Every inconvenient flat tire, devastating diagnosis, and life-altering tragedy is not proof of a cruel God, but of how disappointing and devastating the effects of sin are in this world. Even more, they are a reminder of what we have been spared from for all eternity because of Christ’s great love for us.
- God will redeem what seems unredeemable in his time. God may not always protect us from the pain of this world (although he likely spares us from more than we realize) but he promises that he won’t waste it. He will either redeem our painful circumstances or he will work through them to redeem us instead. Whatever you are facing right now, I encourage you to examine what lens you are viewing it through. It will make all the difference in how your heart responds to both undeserved blessings and unwanted sorrows. Christian, will you join me today in renewing your mind with the truth that God is entirely, wholeheartedly for you? “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord…For the Lord will not reject us forever. Even if he causes suffering, he will show compassion according to the abundance of his faithful love. For he does not enjoy bringing affliction or suffering on mankind” (Lamentations 3:22-27, 31-33). Home is around the corner.