mattbraunlin
Member
Why Do These Things Always Happen to Me?!
Dedicated to Gord AbrahamAre you a trouble-magnet? Do you often seem to catch hell where most people get off scot-free? Do you feel you can legitimately say that you get punished disproportionately to your crimes?
Do you feel that God is hard on you in situations where most people - even most Christians - have it easy?
I sure do. I look back on my life and I see very many occasions in which God has been unusually stern with me. I won't go into details, but the fact that God has had very little tolerance for disobedience from me is undeniable. Consequences for my sins have come hard, fast, and vivid. I have grown bitter about this many times, sometimes to the point of tears.
But wait, there's more!
In addition to God's prompt and pronounced discipline when you do wrong, you also never seem to catch a break. You live a difficult and painful life; medical, social, and economic troubles are your constant companions. You see everyone and their mother enjoying stability and prosperity and popularity, and you… well, you have an uphill climb just to keep from derailing entirely.
Once again, you're preaching to the choir.
I would like to tell you a secret which God revealed to me only very recently:
All of this is very good. If what I have described here sums you up, then there is no doubt that God means for you to do something great.
You know the old Spider-Man proverb, With great power comes great responsibility? That is a very Biblical concept. Christ himself made God's policy very clear when it comes to those to whom he gives powerful blessings:
And a servant who knows what the Master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Luke 12:47-48
If you feel that you meet the criteria we have discussed, I urge you to memorize this passage. Let it permeate your mind, body and spirit, because it will help you define your life.
Make no mistake, my friend: if God has given you great spiritual gifts, he expects you to use them properly. And as such, he will hold you to a higher standard than your average Joe.
If you use your gifts on your own terms, like Moses did, you won't see the promised land. If you try to run from your calling, like Jonah did, you'll be swallowed by a fish.
If God has an extra special plan for you, he will keep you in line. He will be strict. Sometimes he will seem more like a drill sergeant than a father. That's why verses like this are so important.
And let's not forget that we also have an enemy. Satan does not like people like you, to whom God has given such gifts and vision. He will hit you with all he's got, and often enough, God will let him. It's all part of the package, so you had best prepare for that.
And it's worth it! A thousand times over, it is worth it!
The other side of this solemn coin is that you will walk in intimate closeness with your Father in heaven. He will bless your life with wisdom and Joy. He will make you a blessing to others. If you uphold your end of the bargain, he will uphold his, and you cannot yet imagine the wonders you will experience if you submit to his exceptional will for your life.
Is there a single Biblical figure who did not endure extraordinary trials? Bereavement. Punishment. War. Wandering in the wilderness as outcasts for years. While their peers were relatively at ease in their ordinariness, people like Moses and Ruth and David and Mary endured monumental testing. And as a result, they lived lives worthy of eternal prominence in the Greatest Story Ever Told.
If you are walking with Jesus and you frequently feel - as I've protested many times - that his yoke is crushing and his burden is impossible, don't fret. God has a special plan for you, even though he may not yet have revealed it to you. He is whipping you into shape, honing your unique and powerful craft and, above all, teaching you to depend entirely upon him. No true warrior of God ever thought they could do anything on their own.
Have faith. Pray. Study Scripture. Think about others as much as possible. Thank God for what you have and what he is teaching you. And in the midst of your trials, remember how humbled and honoured you should feel at being paid such close attention by the Almighty.
It took me sixteen years to find the faith and wisdom I needed to write this blurb. My hope and prayer is that God uses it to bless someone who is where I was, in order that it would not take so long for them. Amen.