Problems. Difficulties. Disappointments. Life is full of them. What are some of the various ways people comfort themselves during life’s difficulties? How do we connect God’s love to the difficult circumstances we sometimes face? How does God’s providence play out in our daily lives?
John & Lynn are good friends who have been a part of our journey through life for over 35 years, beginning when Kay, John and I were students at Texas A&M. Lynn was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. As they thought they were ending the chemo, they learned that Lynn need more chemo treatments. They said, “We began this [breast cancer] journey recognizing it as a divine disruption. This week certainly was a ‘bend in the road’ that we did not see coming, expect or want…”
John preceeded us to Africa by about a year. When Kay and I first arrived in Nigeria 31 years ago, John wrote to us:
There are some things God wants to teach you that cannot be learned quite as well anyplace else on the face of the earth.
One of the foundational lessons we’ve learned during our life journey is summarized by the Apostle Paul.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gives us 10 words to live by.
Rejoice always. [2 words]
Praywithout ceasing. [3 words]
Give thanks in all circumstances [5 words]
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
I remember this as the 2-3-5 plan to joy in life. There is an active command, and a clearly defined scope.
Gordon MacDonald writes:
Discipline is the act of inducing pain and stress in order to grow into greater toughness, capacity, endurance or strength. So spiritual discipline is that effort of pressing the soul so that it will enlarge its capacity to hear God speak and, as a result, to generate inner force that will guide and empower one’s mind and outer life.
God presses my soul so that it will enlarge it’s capacity to hear God speak. God presses my soul so that my soul will have a strong inner force that will guide and empower me, both in the inner mind and in my outer life. God desires tough children, children with capacity, children who can endure, children who are strong.
Heidelberg Catechism eloquently identifies God’s providence in our lives:
What do you mean by the providence of God? (Question 27)
The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by his fatherly hand.
What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence does still uphold all things? (Question 28)
That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from his love; since all creatures are so in his hand, that without his will they cannot so much as move.
All things come, not by chance, but by his fatherly hand. Our response: patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, placing our firm trust in our faithful God and Father.
Paul takes it a step further. We are to be thankful in all circumstances. We are rejoice in everything. We are to have a rich, never-ceasing inner conversation with God.
A couple of weeks ago, we were waiting to hear from our children Jonathan and Meredith about the birth of grandson Luke Andrew. At about that same time, Molly Ann Mutz was born. She is the granddaughter of Dennis and Barbara Rainey. The Rainey’s give leadership to FamilyLife, the family ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. You may have heard Dennis on the radio or read one of the many books they have authored..
Molly was born a few days before Luke. She was born with congestive heart failure. She didn’t cry for the first 4 minutes of her life. Then additional testing revealed a very rare and very destructive abnormality of blood vessels in her brain. Over 50% of her brain was permanently damaged. They learned that after 15-20 surgeries, she might have a few brain functions. The families spent days hoping and praying for a miracle. After 3 days of testing, this young couple has to make a very difficult choice. They decide to not pursue the several very dangerous and complex brain surgeries and remove life support later in the week.
You have to read Dennis’ story and Barbara’s story of that week. I still weep my way through it although I’ve read it many times. I weep because it’s sad. I weep because it’s full of joy. I weep because God is so gentle and loving. I weep because evil is so everpresent, but God is so overpowering.
About a year ago, Kay and I were in India. We got word that our granddaughter Lucy had meningitis. The bacterial kind. The bad kind. The kind that can leave permanent effects like loss of hearing. Kay and I struggled with feelings of being half a world away. But we had God’s words. We had His promises.
During that time, I remembered what Christian author John Eldredge wrote in Chapter 1 of Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive
[We] were born into a world at war, and [we] will live all [our] days in the midst of a great battle, involving all the forces of heaven and hell played out here on earth. … Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days, we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. It will be hard to believe that God’s intentions toward us are life abundant.
Have you come to terms with war as the context of our days?
10 words to live by. The 2-3-5 plan. They have served me well for many years.
Rejoice always. [2 words]
Praywithout ceasing. [3 words]
Give thanks in all circumstances [5 words]
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Thanks, John, for your advice long ago. I’ve learned that they don’t apply just to geographic places. They also apply to circumstancial places. There are some things God wants to teach you that cannot be learned quite as well anyplace else on the face of the earth.