The Struggle

Mark Dunagan
05/31/09 - Sunday Morning

Rick Warren was entirely correct when he said, “Life is a series of problems. Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one.” Scripture affirms that everyone has problems, that everyone suffers and that we never reach a point in this life where all suffering is behind us:

• There will always be “…worries of the world” (Mark 4:19).
• “For everyone will be salted with fire” (Mark 9:49).
• “In the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33)
• “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
• We will never in this world be detached from “the sufferings of this present time” (Romans 8:18).
• Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31).
• “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:11).
• “…ye have suffered…” (1 Peter 5:10).

What We Are Up Against

There are certainly temptations when we encounter suffering:

• A desire to avoid the suffering, or to go around it, instead of going through it.
• Thinking that we are being singled out and that we are the only one who is suffering. 
• Thinking that we must be doing something wrong (1 Peter 4:12).

The “Life of Ease” Temptation

“The desire for ease, comfort, and stress-free living is an indirect desire to remain an ‘unseasoned’, immature Christian… I once flipped through a magazine spread of a well-known celebrity, photographed in his bathrobe and slippers, walking out of an opulent house with a stunning view, and yet this image carried no attraction for me. In truth, it made me somewhat sick. The lifestyle this photograph was depicting – free of responsibility or labor, coddling in abundance – might be nice for a week or two every year, but as a way of life it seemed offensive and uninviting” (Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas, pp. 129,130). With all the ads of the “good life” that surround us, it is tempting to think that we deserve such ease and comfort on a constant basis, or that it would be good for us. Yet Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). So next time we see an ad on television or in a magazine, we need to ask ourselves, “Are those people carrying their cross daily?” The above writer is right, with so much work that needs to be done on this earth in saving souls and spreading the gospel, it is offensive to live a life that essentially keeps you in your bathrobe spiritually.

Losing Our Perspective

“To many Western Christians, this verse (Luke 9:23) might sound melodramatic. When I look at my life honestly, I have to admit that in many ways I have it unusually easy. This relative ease of life as a Christian is a benefit experienced by very few generations before us. Medicine has become so advanced that many of us can live virtually pain-free lives. We have machines to wash our clothes and do the dishes, and cars that move us from one place to the next. We have it so easy that we can begin to be lulled to sleep, thinking that lifeshould be easy or that it will always be easy” (Sacred Marriage, pp. 130,131).

The Temptation of Wanting to Opt Out

Solomon dealt with three common excuses when it comes to doing hard things:

• “It’s too hard” (Proverbs 24:10)
• “I do not want to get involved, I am not responsible” (24:11)
• “I did not know” (24:12)

“Exceptional strain (10) and avoidable responsibility (11-12) are fair tests, not unfair, of a man’s metal. It is the hireling, not the true shepherd, who will plead bad conditions (10), hopeless tasks (11) and pardonable ignorance (12); love is not so lightly quieted – nor is the God of love” (Proverbs, Kidner, p. 154). Thus, as Francious Fenelon wrote, “The more we fear to suffer, the more we need to do so”.

The Positives of Suffering

• It makes us come alive:

“Marx, you’ll recall, called religion ‘an opiate’ for the people. Yet Marx had it exactly backwards, at least as far as his words pertain to Christianity. Opium deadens the senses; Christianity makes them come alive… Christianity does not leave us in an apathetic stupor – it raises us and our relationships from the dead! It pours zest and strength and purpose into an otherwise wasted life” (Sacred Marriage, p. 151). Thus, if we are ever tempted to look back fondly of our former days in sin, before we had all the responsibilities and concerns of being a Christian, when we did not worry about such things as heaven, hell, salvation, and so on, when we were living a “carefree life”, we need to remember: 1. We had worries then – and we were anything but “care free”. 2. The things that concern us or bother us now that did not bother us then is proof or evidence that we are “alive” now, for it is the living who feel and who care. Apathy and the carefree life is not evidence that one is living, but rather is often evidence that one is dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). So work toward creating gratitude for your present worries, concerns, fears and weight of responsibility that you bear as a child of God (Galatians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 11:28), such feelings are evidence that you are living a meaningful and full life.

Therefore, no difficultly is ever a death sentence upon a meaningful or happy life. The apostle Paul faced an entire life of difficulties in living the Christian life (Acts 9:16 “For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake”), and yet Paul appears to have been an incredibly happy and optimistic Christian (Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”). Thus, no matter what happens – marriage problems, difficulties with children, congregational problems, health issues, problems with relatives or in-laws, persecution, and so on, none of these things are the end of “life” for the Christian.

• We are doing something very important

Yes, the Christian life will involve suffering, but the suffering both meaningful and purposeful. It comes about because we are determined to swim against the current (Romans 12:1), when we opt for the road less traveled (Matthew 7:13-14), and determine to “live godly” (2 Timothy 3:12). When we put on Christ and help others do the same we not only prepare ourselves for eternity, we take one step in solving almost every social problem that exists, the Christianity applied prevents or solves every problem that has ever existed. When it comes to marriage, one writer noted, “The reason we promise to love each other ‘till death do us part’ is precisely because our society knows that such a promise will be sorely tried – otherwise, the promise wouldn’t be necessary! We don’t make public promises that we will regularly nourish our bodies with food or buy ourselves adequate clothing” (Sacred Marriage, p. 132). The point is that promises are not made over things that are easy, but rather concerning things that will costly. Few people leave a marriage because it is too easy!

Remember to Fall Forward

“One of the great spiritual challenges for any Christian is to become less self-absorbed. Maintaining an interest in and empathy for someone else is by no means an easy discipline to maintain—but it is a vital one. It is a skill that must be learned. Many years ago, I and a few close friends celebrated our high school graduation by hiking on Mount Rainier. Before I attempted to jump a fast-moving creek, one of my friends advised me, ‘Just make sure you fall forward’. The advice as well heeded. Even if I didn’t make the jump, as long as I kept my momentum going forward, I wouldn’t be swept into the stream” (Sacred Marriage, pp. 154-155). Proverbs 24:16 “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity” Here we learn that even godly people fall or stumble. Even the godly can get incredibly discouraged (Elijah) and even godly preachers can think about quitting (Jeremiah 20). So we cannot prevent all falls, yet we can control the direction in which we fall. The wicked also fall, but when they fall they fall far away from God and those who are trying to help them.

I Fall Forward When…

• I am closer to God after this trial
• I am now more serious about prayer and Bible study
• The trial has moved me closer to various brethren
• I value the assembly times a little more
• I come out of the disagreement with my spouse feeling closer to them
• I feel closer to my parents after our clash of views
• I am more grateful for what God has done for me
• I have a greater desire to make it to heaven
• I am more determined not to give up
• I see the big picture a little more quickly