"Why is my life so hard? Why are these things happening to me? I pray to God for healing, but there is no healing. I pray for better finances, but no money is forthcoming. I am so tired of these struggles; I am on the verge of giving up. I might as well live life the way I want to and hope to die soon.
Have these thoughts ever come to your mind? These are thoughts many will encounter as they ascend the mountain of God.
For many of us, life began well. We had a great time in our youth; we believed in love, we believed the future was bright, and we felt whole as a person. But somewhere along the way, hardship showed up. An illness, a broken heart, the death of a loved one, or broken aspirations sent us into despair and grief. Suddenly, life became dark and hopeless.
But then, we heard the voice of God. We heard someone preach, 'Come to Jesus and all will be well; come to Jesus and He will give you the desires of your heart.' So we came to Jesus, hoping that we were back on the right track and would finally achieve our desires. In the beginning, we felt rejuvenated, excited, and happy. We saw the Lord working in our lives, giving us victories and helping us in different areas. We got 'on fire' for God, sharing His Word, and we could see heaven right ahead.
But then, hardships returned: health problems, relationship issues, or financial struggles. We began to experience despair and think, 'Maybe God is not with me anymore.' As the problems grew, many of us started losing hope, neglecting prayer as depression began to dominate us.
What is happening?
The Lord has begun the process of purification in earnest. The problem is that we are filled with pride. Even when we come to Jesus, pride still reigns in our hearts, and deep down, we think we know the best way for God to lead us. It was pride that caused Satan to be kicked out of heaven; therefore, for us to enter heaven, pride must be removed from our lives.
In His mercy, God allows severe trials to show us that unless we depend entirely on Him, we cannot overcome. These trials are meant to turn our eyes away from ourselves and toward Jesus. They are designed to lead us to our prayer closets. The closer we draw to God, the more you will feel you are losing control of your life and your plans. This is exactly the Lord's work, for unless we lose control, God cannot be in control.
For God to be God in my life, I must stop being a god in it. Like the plagues of Egypt, God will allow hardship until we bow down and acknowledge Him. In order for us to be whole in Christ, our wholeness in sin must be broken. It is only as His guidance increases that we experience true joy.
When faced with a trial, we should ask: 'Lord, help me to see the issue in my life within this trial, and help me to endure as You purify me.' Each trial is a blessing in disguise, designed to remove specific things holding us captive. Anything that brings us closer to Christ is a blessing.
The call of God is a call to purity. God is a consuming fire, and you will feel the burn as you ascend to Him. Do not give up. Allow the dross to be burned away and your pride to be laid in the dust. Draw near to God, and He will consume our filth with His fiery trials. Stay faithful, for 'without holiness no man will see the Lord' (Hebrews 12:14). Being holy means being in God, and God being in you."
Comments