Life is full of struggles, irrespective of age, wealth, occupation, status, or whatever category of person you are. Everyone goes through hard times and everyone’s had their share of trials at some point in their lives. But the point of the matter is, there is always sunshine after the rain, there is always the dawn of a new day after the darkest night, there is always a setback before every push forward.
Well, I’m not saying this cuz my life is perfect. I’ve had my share of struggles, and even now there are a million things I deal with that get me down. And, like every other human being, I do give into negativity, and there have been times when I’ve almost lost hope. So here’s a little thought to share for all of you out there who are going through the crappy side of life.
I wasn’t exactly feeling my best as I woke up last Sunday. My mind was full of every bit of negativity you can imagine – unwanted thoughts and worries that clouded my brain and I kept trying to shrug it off but it didn’t work. I don’t care if you want to blame it on the changing hormones or the devil himself, but I wasn’t happy with myself or my attitude and I didn’t know how to cheer up. Getting ready for church, I just silently prayed “Lord, please help me change my attitude. I really hate the way I’m feeling today and I don’t want to come into your presence with such a messed up head.”
Sitting at church, half listening to the sermon and half tying to stay focused as other thoughts distracted me, we had a reading from Exodus chapter 17 which brought to my mind the entire row of events that took place till the Israelites reached the promised land, after they were were delivered out of Egypt. At different points where they were hungry, thirsty and worn out as they were travelling through the desert, they grumbled against God to Moses (In spite of God’s promise of the land flowing with milk and honey). We even read in chapter 16 that they felt they were better off when they were in Egypt. But all that impatience, grumbling and disbelief really pissed God off. Despite everything God had done for them, they treated God with contempt. The result: He punished them by making them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. In Numbers 14:23 God says “No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it (The promised land).”
That’s one example in the Bible, of humans dealing with trials and the outcome of their demeanor. Let’s look at another one. All of us know the story of Job. He was a righteous man, and God decided to let the devil mess with Job as a test of his character and commitment to God (God actually wanted to prove to Satan that no matter what shit he threw at Job, Job would still stay firm and steadfast in his commitment to God). But what we need to focus on here is Job’s attitude.
During his first test in Job 3, he was in so much pain and suffering that he cursed his birth. But no matter what happened, he never uttered a single word against the Lord (Though he didn’t have the slightest idea why all these bad things were happening to him). In fact, we can see him proclaim his faith in many places. In Job 13:15, we see him saying “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him.” And in Job 14:14, he says “All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.” And the result of his consistent faith in the Lord? Jump to Job 42:12 and we find that “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”
Many times in life we also grumble. No matter how many blessings we receive from God, we still stumble in our faith when trials come our way. The past year (ever since I got married, to be exact) has been the most challenging year of my life and many times, like the Israelites, even I’ve felt like I was better off before I got married. I was single, had a job and was less stressed out about life. But then, sitting at church today and listening to the passage being read out, I started pondering over the thoughts I’ve described above and realized that God never let’s us go through struggles without bigger plans in mind. And, there’s always something we’re meant to learn from it. When we grumble (like the Israelites) we fall short of the blessings God has intended for us at the end of the struggle. On the other hand, what we get from being steadfast in our faith in Him and His will for us is more than what we can ask for or imagine. Meaning He will restore much more than everything we lost.
Really made me feel like an oblivious grouch when I realized this. Made me want to take back all the grumbles and whining and say, “Hey, God’s in control. So let me just sit back and count all his blessings.” I made a mental note to try my best and never ever grumble when things go up side down.
I want to encourage every one of you who is going through the hard times right now to keep in mind that no matter what you’re going through, there’s something big waiting for you around the corner. We all stumble, cuz after all, we’re all human. But I want to remind you all that God never forsakes His children, and that His ways are always mysterious, but perfect, though we don’t understand it all right away. I want you to hold on to that last ounce of faith left in you, and believe with all your might that God can and will do wonders and get you through the storm. Most importantly, I want you to remember that just like everything else God has led you through, “This too shall pass!”
