A Life of Ease

Why do we expect life to be easy?

I was caught off guard with this question the other morning, as Ty came up from his work out.

"Uh... I don't know." Solid answer, Tye. You really nailed that one.

"Seriously, though. Why would we expect things to be smooth and easy when the Bible clearly says that we will be faced with trials?" 

My husband is one of the most insightful people I know. Try to tell him that, however, and he will tell you that there is someone smarter and can express their thoughts better, but, he challenges my thinking in so many ways. He simply does not give himself enough credit. God often speaks through him to me.

This question, in particular, really got me thinking, and thus, researching the truth of what God says we can expect in our life on earth. 

In John 16:33, Jesus is speaking to his disciples and says, "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."

Jesus wasn't telling them, if you face troubles, he was in fact assuring them that they would face trials as believers. 

I don't know about you guys, but since COVID hit in the spring, I have been in a slump. I have felt anxiety and depression in a way that I never have before, which has been a difficult experience for me. But, as I sit here and read this scripture and chew on what Ty presented to me, it helps. God never promised me an easy life. He never said I will not have to face trials, feel pain, depression, anxiety, or that my path will be easy. He simply says that when we face trials, He's got us.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep you over. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. - Isaiah 43:2

Again... When, when, when. Not if.

My husband is a man that thinks in analogies and pictures. In discussing this particular topic, he put it something like this: It's a process similar to refining precious metals or diamonds. Initially, it's dirty, rugged, and you can't yet see the beauty beneath it. The process takes time and intentionality in order to get to the final product. A diamond does not just appear. It first must be discovered, or mined, recognizing its potential to become something beautiful, rare, and refined one day once you crack away the hard exterior. Impurities must be removed and sorted out in order for the diamond, or precious metal, to be revealed. And yet even still, it takes time to thoroughly clean them, preparing them to become what they are meant to be. One day, they will reach a point where they shine beautifully because of the work that went into each one individually, however, there will come a time when they will fog up again, get dirty, and need more attention. That will never go away. A diamond will never shine to its greatest potential without consistent and intentional upkeep and attention. We are like diamonds. Each trial we face is a step in building us up to our greatest potential. God sees what we can become underneath all the grime and hardships. He knows what we need to become the people He created us to be, and so those moments of suffering are not to intentionally cause us pain and turmoil, but to offer us opportunities to get rid of our impurities and become more refined and mature in the process.

James, Jesus' brother, exclaims in his letter in James 1:2 that we should actually consider it joy when we face trials. Yes, I know... easier said than done. It is in these moments, however, that our true character shines - good or bad. I know people that are masters at being able to see joy in the midst of suffering. People that are in so much pain internally, but can also clearly see God working and praise Him continuously. To me, that is an incredible testament to someone's faith. I want to be that person deeply, but I'm just not there quite yet. It's a marathon, not a sprint, right?  

In this chapter, through his faith in God, James is basically instructing us to be grateful for the trials we face and find joy through them because, as it says in verses 3-4, "...because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." It is in these moments of grief, sorrow, and darkness that the Lord is fully and completely at work in our hearts, growing us and maturing our character. 

Imagine what the world is going to think and begin to wonder when they see you continue to glorify our Lord even when you are hurting. Even when you lost your job. Your husband cheated. You experience the death of a family member or friend. I have been there. I have been angry and questioned God. So, let me just say, that I am not trying to negate your true and often painful feelings and thoughts. Jesus isn't either. While Jesus is fully God, He is also fully human, and while on earth, experienced unmet needs (Luke 9:58), betrayal (John 13:21, 38; 18:2), exhaustion (John 4:6), grief and sorrow (Matthew 26: 38-39), temptation (Hebrews 2:18), physical and emotional suffering (Matthew 27), and felt extreme anguish (Matthew 27:46). He knows your heart and what you are feeling and it is because of this that He is able to feel the utmost empathy for what you're going through. Considering it pure joy when we face trials offers the world a chance to see that even though God allows really hard things to happen in our lives, He does so so that we can grow and mature into strong people as a result. Beyond even our own growth and maturity, our struggles are a unique opportunity for us to love and serve others by being able to extend empathy and love when others are hurting. It is through these moments that the world gets a glimpse into who God truly is: nurturing, patient, kind, strong, and filled with unconditional love and grace for us.

I just finished listening to an episode of Jennie Allen's podcast "Made for This" in which she interviewed a lady who went through a near 18-month immigration trial in West Africa while she was there on mission. She said this and I just loved it, "Jesus didn't come to shield us from these things. He didn't come to shield our emotions. He didn't come to shield us from the reality of experiencing grief or loss or apathy. He came to dignify that and say, 'I'm going to enter in to be able to say with you: I am here and I get it. And I also have my own humanity that can stand with you, beside you, behind you in the midst of these things."

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." - James 1:12

How then, do we persevere through these moments that feel hopeless, dark, and uneasy? How do we know that God is with us and has not forgotten us? Put simply, He repeatedly promises to be with us through our trials. He promises to provide for our every need. (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6: 25-34, Proverbs 10:3, Philippians 4:6, Hebrews 11:6, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Isaiah 41:10 ... to name just a few) 

On a daily basis, I think about a sermon our pastor did on how God provided for the Israelites when they were freed from Egypt. They were told to only go out and collect enough manna to feed their family for that day and were not to take their rations for the next day. (Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.") Some people simply did not trust that God would provide for their needs again, so they disobeyed and collected more food anyways. As the next day came, they soon discovered that their manna had become rotten. 

So, here is my daily reminder when I look back on this story: God provides what we need for that moment, that day, hour, minute, and second, so we have to remain faithful that He will provide again. Trying to take on tomorrow's worries today will only leave us with rotten manna in our hands. God will never leave us or abandon us. He will show up again and again. 

For me, when I find myself going through a difficult time in my life, I know that is a time I must dig deep. I have to be so incredibly intentional, because if I'm not, it's extremely easy for me to feel alone and distant from God. I don't want these moments of my life to be merely survival. I want to see God work through them and in me so that the world can see the goodness of God. The God that carries us when we simply cannot carry ourselves. The God that shows immense grace and love time after time.