Facing Daily Struggles

 Thousands of Old Testament saints believed and obeyed God but never received the promises God had made, because God did not limit those blessings to them, but included us as well, as we see in Hebrews 11:39-40.  “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

 

We have records of some of the things they have gone through to demonstrate it is possible to have such faith.  With such examples from the past, we need to commit ourselves do the same things just as an athlete might look up to a father he played the same sport.  It would be embarrassing to mess up on every play when his father was watching.   Similarly, we ought to be embarrassed to mess up the most basic actions in our Christian life when we think about what others have gone through.  Like those athletes, we can learn from those who have gone before us, and especially our Lord, as Hebrews 12:1-4 tells us.  “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

 

Many times we get the feeling being a Christian is just ttoo hard and want to give up.  When we understand what Christ has gone through on our behalf and what others have experienced, we are far less likely to give up.  Compared to what some of them, including the Lord have gone through our sufferings are pretty small, and even those who are suffering most are still alive.     

 

Often our struggles are the result of our own actions.  Like a little child who is being punished, we may conclude God doesn’t love us because he allowed these things to happen to us.  Such an attitude clearly demonstrates we don’t really understand how much God loves us.  The parent who allows his child to experience pain or punishes him may be trying to teach him that certain behaviors are dangerous or unacceptable because he loves him and knows he will not always be there to protect him.   People who don’t understand that love may become rebellious and deliberately disobey. 

 

We as Christians need to understand that God sometimes allows things to happen or punishes us because he loves us, as Hebrews 12:5-8 tells us.  “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”  Any parent who truly cares about his children will make an effort to teach them what is right.  A parent who refuses to discipline children is refusing to take responsibility for them, implying that they are not really his children. 

 

Unfortunately, parents sometimes become more concerned with their own convenience than with what is best for the child, but we still learned to respect and obey them.  God always acts with our best interests in mind, to help us be holy just as he is.  Discipline is never pleasant at the moment, but in the long run it pays off, as we see in Hebrews 12:9-13.  “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

 

Instead of sitting around complaining about how unpleasant our life is, we need to need to stand up and approach life positively, knowing that god loves us and is doing what is best for us.  If we choose to focus on how bad things are we will only become more depressed and eventually turn away from God.   How we choose to react to God’s discipline will determine what our life will be like. If we believe he loves us, we will try to obey him, avoiding further discipline.  If we spend our time whining instead, he will send more chastisement.  It is our choice.  A good church will encourage us by constantly reminding us who Christ is and what he has done.  Those who do not attend church regularly lack such encouragement.