Stuff happens. Today is a new day, and it will be filled with so much stuff. The question for many of us is this: “If God is so good, then why do so many things in my life go so bad?” It is a fair question, and before you take the time to read the rest of this, please know that I can’t answer specifically why everything happens, but I can offer you a perspective and some hope.
You see, the reality is that every day there is a battle going on. It rages, and the battle is for your heart. Everywhere you go, temptation is lurking, seeking to ensnare you. The devil is real, and as the Scripture describes him, he is a thief, a liar, and a roaring lion waiting to devour us. Lies are abundant, and they constantly battle with what is true. You, as a believer, are in the minority, and the struggle to be heard and understood is real. Sickness, loss, pain, and suffering sit at your door daily, and it feels as if they visit you more than anyone else. Your plans, hopes, and dreams often fail, and you always seem to end up with the short end of the stick. It feels like you’re alone at times, and you question whether God is there and whether it really is worth it.
Pain, hardship, and struggle are real, and Jesus never promised us that we would be exempt from any of it. The hard truth is that He told us that in this world we WOULD have trouble. We live in a broken and fallen world that impacts us every day. Yet we are also given the opportunity, in the midst of all the “stuff that happens,” to experience God’s restorative and redeeming grace. Those gifts of grace can even come in the form of hardship and pain. Listen to what Paul says to the early church as he was experiencing some “tough stuff.”
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” — Colossians 1:24, ESV
So many people misinterpret this verse and take Paul to be saying that what Jesus did on the cross to atone for our sins wasn’t sufficient or complete. It’s as if Paul were implying that he and other believers must add their own sufferings to pay for their sins. But this isn’t at all what Paul was saying. When Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” the price for human redemption was fully and completely paid. We can never add anything to the saving merits of Christ Jesus’ blood. Paul is addressing the afflictions that all of His followers experience.
The world’s hatred for Christ and His followers still continues. When Jesus lived and ministered here on earth, He not only experienced the hostility, hatred, and persecution — He absorbed it. He even told His followers that just as the world hated Him, it would hate them. Not a great sales pitch to invite people to follow you, was it? So when Paul says to the church, “I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” he isn’t saying there is a deficiency in what Christ did on the cross. He is referring to the ongoing tribulation and hardship that all of His followers will endure. The church must face opposition and persecution as it carries the good news of the Gospel to the world. Paul did it, and he faced a bunch of “bad stuff.” He rejoiced in it and said to those he loved: don’t feel sorry for me — my suffering isn’t a burden but a privilege.
Paul’s attitude and willingness to suffer was a beautiful picture of God’s perfect love. By enduring the affliction and hardship of suffering as he preached the Gospel, he stood in the gap so that others could hear the TRUTH. His sacrifice was worth it so that others could know Jesus and His redeeming love. We don’t find joy in our comfort; we find it in our relationship with Jesus. That relationship is forged through the pain, suffering, and sacrifice we experience. It makes us stronger — our faith grows in the midst of the pain.
This is the perspective I want you to see and embrace in the midst of your pain. Don’t lose hope, but rather find joy in knowing that you aren’t the only one going through something. It does have a purpose. Be comforted by these words today: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22–23
God’s steadfast, faithful, never-ending love will never fail you and is placed on you no matter what. It never ends, and God will never give up on you! Every day He has a fresh set of mercies waiting for you, and they are specific to all “the stuff” that waits for you today! He is all you need today, and He will meet you right where you are!
BE ENCOURAGED!
