Faith that Stands the Test

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:2-8 ESV). I am not fond of pain. Most of us are that way. Generally we all want to avoid pain. We want to be comfortable. Things like pain-free dentistry appeal to us. And so does effortless weight loss. We are looking for the workout that doesn't require us to, well, actually workout. And we want the pounds to just melt off without changing our eating habits. But what is true in losing weight is true in life as well: No pain, no gain. The pain that comes into our lives has its purpose. It reminds us of a deeper need, and that is our need for God. I can always tell when it’s time to go for my phlebotomies; my bones really start to hurt. Because of some conflicting medications over the last year I have not been able to do that. There are days when I am not my best. Stuff hurts that has nothing to do with my age! However, I find that pain reminds us that I need God. In his book, The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis wrote that pain "removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul." God uses pain. And through adversity, we learn eternal truths that we would not learn otherwise. As author Randy Alcorn has said, "If you base your faith on lack of affliction, your faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it." The faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. God’s goal for all of his children is to get us to the place where we might be presented perfect and spotless. That will only happen as the old life dies. And that is what adversity in your life does. Pain is distressing. There can be nights of agony when God seems so unfair and it seems that there is no possible help or answer. Temporary relief may seem adequate, but the real solution to suffering is not to isolate it in an attempt to do away with it, nor even to grit our teeth and endure it. The solution, rather, is to condition our attitudes so that we learn to triumph in and through suffering. When the Apostle Paul sought relief from his “thorn in the flesh,” God did not take it away, but reassured him with: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9).