The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s own or real life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day. What one calls one’s real life is a phantom of one’s own imagination.
~C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
— 2 Timothy 2:1-10
Question: How then are we to live in the face of difficulty?
Answer: With total disregard for the discomfort and dismay they may cause. We are to endure. Basically, we are to pull up our “big-boy pants,” forget what is behind, and reach forward to what lies ahead.
What? Yeah, like totally blow that stuff off. It is irrelevant.
But, I don’t like it when things are hard… I mean aren’t I supposed to have some peace when I live for god?
He never said that He wanted us to live for Him. He said He wanted to live His Life in us and through us, for His glory and purposes. We are only to seek Him, keep our eyes on Him, and count on Him to give us everything we need to get through it.
And besides…
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
— Isaiah 26:3-4
Problems are not just bearable beloved reader. They are, in fact, reduced to the ridiculous in light of the grace He provides for us to live lives of righteousness, joy, and peace in the power of The Holy Spirit.
So, our best course of action? Like Peter when He first got out of the boat, keep our eyes on Jesus. That never fails. And neither does He!
In time of trouble go not out of yourself to seek for aid; for the whole benefit of trial consists in silence, patience, rest, and resignation. In this condition divine strength is found for the hard warfare because God himself fights for the soul.
–Miguel de Molinos (1628-1696)
