I believe in a God who can do the impossible. I've seen Him do it with my own eyes. But just because God can heal, restore a marriage, or turn your finances around, it doesn't mean He always will. That's one of the hardest realities of following Jesus.
I've walked with people through job losses, miscarriages, and the deaths of people they love. When God doesn't do what we hoped, it feels like we're stuck with two bad options. Either we give up on the idea that God still does miracles, or we get bitter because He didn't do one for us. Some people blame themselves for not having enough faith. Others blame God for not caring. I don't think either one is right.
I've been there. Years ago, I left a church job I loved, a job I believed was connected to my calling. Our finances dried up, even though I was working three jobs. My daughter was facing some heartbreaking health challenges. Megan was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and I was doing everything I could just to wake up and not hate life. For about 18 months, it felt like all hell was breaking loose, and God was taking a nap. I prayed. I fasted. I cried a lot, and I'm not much of a crier. Nothing changed. Here's what got me through:
1. God is good, and His plans for your life are good
I couldn't understand the why, so I learned to trust the Who. Holding on to that was about the only thing that calmed my anxiety and eased my depression. Today, my daughter's health is great, Megan isn't carrying that stress anymore, and I'm doing work I love. "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28 ESV). That truth was the anchor I hung everything on.
2. There's a real enemy
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10 ESV). Not everything bad is the devil, but some of it is. Some fights are spiritual and need to be fought in prayer.
3. Keep eternity in mind
I believe in eternity. For those of us who have been saved by Jesus, we will be welcomed into heaven for eternity. As a Jesus follower, this gives me great hope and helps my perspective. When I’m facing difficult situations and wondering why God isn’t doing this or that, I pause and think of eternity. It’s easy to get short-sighted and be so focused on the here and now that we forget there is an eternity ahead of us. I have to ask myself, in light of eternity, is this situation as bad as I think? If I line up my disappointments against eternity and the joy I’ll have there, it helps me see that what I’m frustrated about isn’t as dire as I’m making it. The reality of eternity is especially helpful in the midst of tragic losses; we must not forget it.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 offers some encouragement: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” As a Christian, we handle loss differently. It doesn’t mean we don’t grieve when we lose someone we love, but it does mean if they were a follower of Jesus, a loss is only temporary. It’s not the end and we’ll get to spend hundreds of years making up the lost time!
I want to leave you with this passage. Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The thing you’re facing isn’t the end of your story. God can use it. God can redeem it. God can help you through it. And when you’re on the other side of it you’ll see this verse come to pass!
May God redeem your story and make beauty out of your ashes!
Scripture: Romans 8:28; John 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13; Daniel 3:16–28; John 16:33