How can we cope
with suffering and brokenness in a fallen world?
Human suffering, brokenness and the frailty of our human nature are the results of living life in a fallen world.You may know or have experienced circumstances in your own life or in the lives of others that are related to sickness, death, the personal tragedy of broken marriages, broken relationships, financial loss, job difficulties etc. Many times the results of these circumstances bring people to the end of their rope. They live in despair. They have lost hope. They cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Regardless of the
kind of circumstances we are facing, the fact of the matter is,
we will all have to cope with suffering and brokenness in this life.
The one thing that we as followers of Jesus can count on is that we don’t have to walk through life’s difficulties and tragedies alone. God promises to renew our strength. He
promises that He won’t abandon us in our times of
trouble.
Isaiah 40:31 (New
International Version 1984)
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Psalm 46:1 (New
International Version 1984)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)
The LORD himself goes before you and
will be with you; he will never
leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Matthew 11:28-29 (New International Version)
Along with the
troubles we face, we sometimes deal with the issue of a broken spirit. In many cases a broken spirit can actually be a positive in the
life a person struggling to gain perspective and direction.
It is human nature for
us to want to be in control of our lives. We want to direct our
own paths so we can experience what we think is the ultimate in
pleasure and success. However, God has carved out a path for our lives that
has an eternal purpose, and He wants to take the lead in getting us there. He wants us to
experience life with Him, not apart from Him. So, when God tells us that He has a plan
for our lives, we can be assured that it
is a good one and one that will track in a way that fulfills His good purpose. God reveals to us in His Word that can trust in His promises.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New
International Version 1984)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Philippians 2:13 (New International Version)
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Because God has
given us the freedom to make choices, we can either seek God’s direction or
not. However, trusting
in God has its benefits. For instance God promises to make our paths straight (Direct our lives in accordance with His will) :
Proverbs 3:5-6 (New
International Version 1984)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight
Jesus promises that
in Him we can find peace:
Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God promises to
provide a way out of temptation:
1 Corinthians 10:13 (New International Version)
No temptation has
seized you except what is common to man. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Those are just a
few examples of God promises. There are many more that He makes to those Who become Jesus’
followers. We must remember God is
trustworthy:
Numbers 23:19 (New Living
Translation)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He
is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to
act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
Joshua 23:14 (New
International Version 1984)
“Now I am
about to go the way of all the earth. You
know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God
gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled;
not one has failed.
So when we put our
faith and trust in God, He will direct our paths and He will fulfill the
promise to give us a hope and a
future. The proper perspective on this should be; we can experience joy now because God has an
eternal plan for His children. He has prepared a place in heaven for those who receive His gift of
faith; for those who believe in Jesus’ work on the cross that forgave our sin and reconciled us back to God. The reason why this promise is an eternal hope
is because our physical bodies will breakdown and perish but our spiritual
bodies live for eternity with
God. Also, in heaven there will be no
more death and suffering. With this eternal perspective in mind
we can persevere through life even though we are faced with the reality of death and suffering in a
fallen world. This life is not all there is.
Our Future in Heaven:
Revelation 21:4 (New International Version)
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
It is important to
remember that it is God’s desire that everyone be saved from the consequences of the eternal
effect of unrepentant sin which can separate us from a Holy God for all
eternity.
2 Peter 3:9 (New
International Version 1984)
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God makes this
promise to His people:
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (New
International Version 1984)
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek
me with all your heart.
I like this version
of the same verse as well:
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (The
Message)
"When you call on me, when you come and
pray to me, I'll listen.
"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about
finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll
make sure you won't be disappointed." God's
Decree. "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove
you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.
The above verse
assures me that when I sincerely call on God He will listen. That He has the power to turn my
life around. That He desires to bring me back from my self imposed exile of my own will. Even
though these promises were initially made for Israel, God’s Word is alive and
active and will speak to
us if we have ears that are willing to listen and take to heart what He is trying to tell us.
Hebrews 4:12 (New
International Version 1984)
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart.
There are times
when I try to impose my own will and try to carve my own path even though
I know God has a
better plan for me. When I struggle with God on this issue I learn that
He will allow me to
suffer the consequences of my decisions to do life apart from Him.
He knows that in my
case, this is how I learn the lessons of life.
God is actually
being merciful to me by allowing me to feel the weight of my own sin because He knows that
my spirit will come to
a point of brokenness. At that point, when I am on my knees, God knows I will turn back to Him in humility and
weakness of spirit. God shows me His amazing grace through His forgiveness of my less than loving actions and transgressions which affect my relationship with Him. God lovingly redirects my life. And in my humility and reverence to God who is gracious enough to continually forgive me, I will submit to His will and surrender my own desires for His. It is often that after confession and repentance, God will lead me back on the road to real abundant life. Sometimes He will make me wait patiently in anticipation of doors being opened based on His timing of events and the master tapestry He is weaving to complete His perfect plan.
I have learned that
God’s power is made perfect in my weakness and I need God’s power
in my life to be
able to live in abundance in a fallen world. Through God's power and not my own will I truly live a life that is filled abundant truth, love, joy and eternal perspective
I think the Apostle
Paul said it best when he asked God to take away His “thorn in his flesh”:
This thorn was some kind of a affliction that hindered Paul in some way which ultimately led him to depend on God's power and strength in order for him to contend with life as one who is set apart to God in service. Whatever Paul's thorn was, the positive effect was that it kept him humble and dependent on God to meet His needs and equip Him for ministry.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (New International Version)
But he (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
But he (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
The truth is, God’s grace is
sufficient for us and His power will work in us when we are at the point when we realize that we
are broken. We need to get to that point where we realize our great need for Him to
intervene in our
circumstances. We need to get to that place where we are ready to receive what
He has to offer. There have been so many
times that I have tried to handle difficult circumstances in my own strength
and through my own limited
perspective. Those times have been costly because I do not handle myself well. I have a tendency
to get angry, despair, and lose hope, causing other people to get hurt in the
process. I realize that I need the discernment,
direction, strength, and comfort that only the Holy Spirit can offer. In order
to not revert back to my old self
which is not representative of a man who has set his life apart to God, I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit I am the new self, the new creation in Christ.
So how do I cope
with suffering and brokenness?
It is through my faith in God’s promises and the
teaching of His Word that I am provided with the confidence that God is in
control and has a good plan
for my future. It is with the Holy Spirit that I can know the steps to take to build my
strength and find the direction and discernment I need to live in abundance. I know that God has
promised, the best is yet to come. I know that Jesus provides the peace I need even when
circumstances weigh heavily on my spirit.
I love that Jesus gives us hope and tells us the truth about life:
John 16:33 (New
International Version 1984)
“I have
told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So even when I am
broken I can be at peace because God is greater and more powerful
than all my
problems combined. Jesus has made it possible for me to be intimately connected
to God through the
Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit filled in me, I am a different person in
attitude and perspective.
Remember this:
The Holy Spirit
provides the strength we need to get back on our feet; actually to get back on our
knees. At this point when
we lay low, show our reverence to God, and ask Him to revive our spirit, He moves in a
powerful way to restore us back to Himself and to give us the strength and courage we need to deal with life.
Jesus said this:
Matthew 5:3 (The Message)
"You're blessed when you're at the end
of your rope. With less of you there is more of God
and his rule.
*So we can cope
with life in a fallen world by living a life set apart to God, a Spirit filled life.
When we live surrendered
and dedicated to God’s will, we will be transformed.
When we are
transformed we can have the proper perspective on suffering and brokenness.
God helps us in this transformation process through the power of His Spirit who changes our hearts and minds:
Romans 12:2 (New Living
Translation)
Don’t copy the
behavior and customs of this world, but let
God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to
know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 15:13 (New
International Version)
God has a good
purpose even when there is suffering and brokenness.
Romans 8:28 (New
International Version 1984)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him,
who have been
called according to his purpose
Ultimately it is
God’s plan for us to become like His son. To complete the work He is doing in
us and through us.
Romans 8:29 (The Message)
God knew what he was doing from the very
beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines
as the life of his Son. The
Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see
the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he
followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he
set them on a solid basis with himself. And
then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
Even when the odds
seem stacked against us. Even when we are suffering and have a broken spirit. Take to heart this
promise from God which held true for Joshua and will hold true for us today.
God says:
“I will never leave
you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)
God has a plan:
To give us a hope
and a future.
The good news:
The best is yet to
come!
So the truth for us is this:
With the Holy Spirit filled in us, we can cope with suffering and brokenness in a fallen world!
Just Sayin……………….Dave
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