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When I have a problem, I always try to figure out what went wrong.
My very “live in the moment” husband questions why I should waste any energy on that.
He quietly observes, “We are where we are. It is what it is.”
He says, “If you knew what caused it, would it make any difference now?”
“Yes,” I reply. “Maybe I could keep it from ever happening again.”
I busily set about my analysis of the situation. First I assign blame. If something went wrong, it must be someone’s fault. Even if it was a material failure, someone should have been checking things before it failed. Right??
However, assigning blame leads straight to judgement, bitterness, resentment and distrust.
Not a good path.
Beyond that, I am in danger of arriving at the pit (pun intended) stop satan planned. Blaming God. After all, isn’t everything on His Watch?
Answer. Yes it is. So next comes the uncomfortable question. Why would God let bad things happen to me?
Even if it is satan’s fault, why would God not have stopped him?
I like the idea of God protecting me from that bully, satan. Shouldn’t He be the one to send the devil running?
James said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7
“But,” I say, “I am too weak to resist.”
And then God says, “No problem. Let’s go to the gym for a little resistance training.”
How did Job get in the messes he endured? God permitted satan to have at him. God knew satan would lose the battle, but He also knew Job would come out stronger on the other side.
He also knew Job would have a greater gift than he had ever had before.
At the end of his struggles, Job said,
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”
Job 42:5
After Jesus was commissioned for His Ministry, His first stop was in the desert. Why? Did He make a wrong turn?
No. Jesus was full of The Spirit. The Spirit was The One Who led Him to the isolated place of temptation.
Resistance training.
And, of course, we know Jesus passed the tests with flying colors. He was indeed strong in The Spirit.
And so I sit, trying to process my current desert situation.
My ever wise husband (also interestingly named James) says, “Instead of questioning God about why this happened, you should ask Him what He wants you to learn and what He wants you to share.”
I am closer to Job’s first attempts’ at passing the tests than Jesus.
But I am comforted by the thoughts that there is some God ordained purpose to what we call suffering.
Indeed new life always seems to make its entrance through resistance and pushing forward and upward.
I am definitely not where I can call this joy, but James encourages me by saying,
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:1-4
So … back to the gym. I am a work in progress. Continued prayers appreciated.
