MINISTERS THROUGH THE PAIN

1 Samuel 17:1-18:4; John 8:21-30; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 15:11 

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied…. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

“Jesus continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I Am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.’”

“Reverence of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!”

Life would be a lot easier if we could just trust God to fight our battles. That’s so impractical, though. We cannot really expect the Lord to overcome illness, wars, shaky economies or shady business associates, can we? Well, that’s certainly what the world says, but Scripture has a different perspective. Jesus didn’t just overcome illness, He raised Lazarus from the dead! God used the Red Sea to crush the Egyptians. He sent Joseph in advance of the famine to prepare for the coming economic crunch. And what could have been better than how the Lord helped Jacob deal with Laban? The Bible is not just a bunch of musty, stale legends. Read the way God intends, it is a bushel basket of hope, even for our generation. Scripture stories are tangible reminders we worship a God who can work in and through whatever situation we face!

The more I read and study, the more I pay attention, the more convinced I am that I usually give up on the Spirit too soon and too easily. Faced with any “peculiarly modern” problem, I take it for granted the old stories just don’t apply. And yet, even a brief retrospective of my own life reveals that idea for the lie it is. I have seen Christ heal cancer, literally and miraculously. Sure, I lost my job, but Jesus had a better one waiting. I never served in combat but have seen many other battles nothing other than the Spirit could have resolved so justly and properly.  The issue is not whether God has the power to help us overcome today’s obstacles. It is whether we will allow Him a way in.

The Holy Spirit’s work is never for the mere convenience or comfort of His people. If our motives are selfish or self-centered, or we desire to get by in our own strength, we need not worry about Christ intervening. There’s the rub. It is difficult, if not impossible, to think of others when we are awash in our own pain or fear. In fact, many of us fall into the trap of living in metaphorical “hospital zones” to more consistently claim the “benefits” of sympathy, weakness and self-obsession. Jesus offers much more! He gives us the chance to be ministers through our own fear and pain. He shares opportunities to carry His Cross and wear His yoke for a reason. He knows we will never truly believe in His power until we know He can and will save on a practical, daily basis. But we will never fully realize that grace until we become vulnerable enough to share it with others.

Who knows best how Jesus saves on a daily basis? Some of the most heroic testimonies of faith involve the quiet dignity and peace with which true disciples face death. Others overcome emotional disabilities by literally betting their lives on Christ. There are even folks who greet each day as the blessing it is despite the curses of poverty, abuse or great insecurity they suffer. Each of these people’s witnesses shares a common thread: a willingness to reveal vulnerabilities, not to get sympathy but to share Christ. They know the most powerful word in the Bible is one we most often overlook, the little word “let.” As in, “let not your heart be troubled.” They know we have a choice when the world throws its worst at us. It is the choice between life and death, blessing or curses. It is fundamentally a choice to live within or outside ourselves. It is a choice to minister in faith to others or to live a life isolating ourselves from that which would save us.

The Word of God offers nothing if it does not offer a viable choice of how to live life. For most of us, the first hurdle is simply claiming the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph as the same God who stands ready to sustain us as He sustained them. And, of course, recognizing and sharing with others the fact that we have a choice about what, and Who, to believe when the world says “’tain’t so!”