"He is with us always"
So many times in ecclesial and family life the troubles seem as if they will never end, no matter how hard we try. Here are some more thoughts on suffering for sin and so we suffer for our sakes, and take consequences, or even suffering of a different nature, for His sake really is for those who seem (in their minds) to be in continual suffering. The Jews must often feel that their compounded level of anxiety is different from that of others, for it never ends for them. Their road in life is full of (being the stated punishment of God for their disobedience). If they believed Him, and worked as His people, they would be more spared.
However, we need not view our own catastrophes as punishments from God. Job taught us that. They are more the refining processes to bring us closer to Him. It is God who sees the big picture over what is best, and so discipline in the overwhelming and seemingly irresolvable trouble, may be an outcome of His better will, and love for us better than that of our own will, or resolve.
Suffering should never be regarded as a fearful thing, where we kick against pricks. If He is “with us always”, Matt 28:20, He is there in the suffering, as well as the blessings. His discipline with love is what grows our returning love for Him. If we can regard trouble as working out of His will for us, so that we can be more refined in Him, we will begin to see the light. Each day we come to Him in our despair, the light grows brighter, and we shoulder more burdens than we ever thought we could in our immature days.
In our immature, and trouble-filled days, we thought we could deal with no more. Now that we have grown, we know that more is always possible for Him. God gives us strength to move on towards acceptance of His will, for are stronger beneath the shadow of His wings. If we can look up out of the pit, never down, if we have our feet planted firmly on the rock, and our minds understanding His word and will, He will be living in our hearts. Then we will see Him above, for He will recognise our hunger for Him. Those eagle-like wings can lift us out of the pit of despair, and take us to where He warms and fills us. I am not saying that we do not slip back to, when seemingly God does not answer, or answers with a terrible answer. It is in the slip when we need each other’s encouraging arms to move forward again. “Up, look up,” we say, “and go there”.
Perhaps it is not like a gentle slope toward Him, but a series of steps, when we sometimes seem to linger long on the present flat, before moving to the next elevation. It does help if people listen, and say they understand, and are encouraging in finding solutions. Even if we do not like the condition, or even hate the sin, we can say we understand the troubled one’s feelings of despair need not resolve the situation,but we can say we are sorry, and that we understand. But we should make sure the resolve being done by someone it seems to me that no one is immune from trouble. We know that now, for we do not hide the troubles, as was our wont. Our peer and buddy support has opened up, and grown and we know now not to despise the troubled ones, or to isolate and exclude them, and turn our heads away.
We expose our weaknesses now, without fear of being thought a failure, or being told that we might “weaken the ecclesia”. And we are all more secure in the situation, it seems, of needing help at some time or another in our lives. The trick is to be a good example in the suffering, so that people can learn how to do even that suffering “well”. If we truly walk beside Him, or are carried by Him, we will do it “well”. What a wonderful way God teaches us about suffering, that sometimes we give comfort, and sometimes we receive it. Neither state should be viewed or pitied as more vulnerable than the other, for both in giving and receiving there is a lesson in mercy and compassion, and growth enriching ourselves to bear, and help others to bear suffering and grief.
God gives us for growth. So, if we eschewhelp we could give to others, we miss out on growth opportunities. This impotence leaves the whole body of Christ a lesser unit than it could have been. Then we all suffer the loss of that growth, because one of us turned away from the wounded must take the God-given opportunities, we suffer for it, but not only that, the whole body suffers for it. All grievance, tragedy and sorrow be a blessing for all of us, those who are “in it”, and those who soothe it, if only we can see the loving hand of God is there.
Sis. B.R. (Sydney, Australia)
