I’ve been catching up on episodes of The Chosen, and just watched the season 4 episode “The Last Sign.”
In that episode in particular, there are various conversations between the
disciples as they wonder, “Did you expect things to go this way?” Each one came
with different expectations. You can almost feel sorry for Judas as he tries to
push things in the way he thinks they are supposed to go, because he’s got a
particular idea of what the Messiah is supposed to do. And for all the
disciples, the death of Lazarus seemed like an anomaly. And then when Jesus
raised him from the dead the question arose why Lazarus raised and not others
they had loved and lost. I suspect we all have times when we want to say, “This
isn’t what I signed up for!”
In a recent episode of the Being Human
podcast, Steve Cuss interviewed Beth Moore. Towards the end he comments on the
fact that she felt a strong call to ministry when she was really young, but she
never imagined that she would have a ministry of trauma healing and helping
those who battle mental illness. Beth says, “We would no more have signed up
for the ministries He ends up calling us to than anything. And yet, when all is
said and done, these have been the things that mattered most.”
Beth went on to mention the man born blind in John 9. When
the disciples ask whose fault it was that the man was blind, Jesus responds,
“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God
might be displayed in him” (v. 3). Perhaps his whole life he’d wondered why he
had to deal with this particular form of suffering. Maybe he had sought out
healers in the past and been disappointed. But then Jesus came along and healed
him—so that God’s work might be displayed in him. It doesn’t take long for the
man to start proclaiming that Jesus is a prophet (v. 17).
What things make you wonder “Why is this part of my life?” Maybe
it’s a physical problem, an emotional challenge, or relationship issues. It
could be just about anything. Have you ever considered how God might use it for
His glory? It may be something as simple as your testimony of God’s sustaining
you through dark times. You are the only one who can share your particular
testimony, and it may help someone who is experiencing trials of their own.
Sometimes in the church we may give people the impression
that following Jesus makes life easy and doubt-free. I think we do a disservice
to our young people especially when we don’t share the struggles we face at all
stages of life, even when we are faithfully serving God. Rebecca Olson wrote in
A New Normal: Learning to Thrive in
Suffering:
“Your response to a shipwrecked life may draw more of the right kind of attention to God than a lifetime of smooth sailing. Your commitment to honor God even in your doubt and confusion can prove to a watching world that God is worth following... Furthermore, not only does your steadfast commitment to Christ present a compelling witness to unbelievers, but your perspective on your own suffering emboldens other believers (see 2Co 11).”
In my many miles of trail hiking and running, I’ve realized
that the narrower the trail is, the more twists, turns, bumps, and roots there
are to trip over. Wide trails make it easier to speed along without concerns.
Jesus said the wide path is easy, but it leads to destruction. “The gate is
narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”
(Matt. 7:14). He never promised an easy life or smooth sailing for those who
follow Him. But He did promise that He’d be with us through the hills and
valleys and every bump and turn of the trail.
When we come to those times of wondering what in the world
God is up to, and we’re tempted to say “This isn’t what I thought I was signing
up for,” we can return again and again to the words of Peter, “Lord, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). We probably
brought some misconceptions with us when we decided to follow Jesus, and we’ve
all faced detours that took us in directions we weren’t prepared to go. But in
the end, there is only One who can redeem all our trials and use them for our
eternal good and His glory. Why would we turn away now?
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing
that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope” (Rom. 5:3-4).
© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
