Necessary Trouble

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

One of the greatest misconceptions held by many is that being a Christian means life should suddenly smooth out, mysterious bridges will appear over all chasms, the winds of fate will be tempered, and all difficulties will disappear. No, Christianity is not membership in some red carpet club. All the problems and pressures of life remain or are even intensified. Christians must face life in the raw, just as anyone will. The purpose of the Christian life is not to escape dangers and difficulties but to demonstrate that they are handled in a different way. There must be trouble, or there can be no demonstration. Look at the four categories of trouble Paul describes:

Afflictions: We are pressed on every side. These are the normal irritations of life which everyone faces — the bothersome, troublesome incidents that afflict us. The washing machine breaks down; it rains on your day off; the dog gets sick on the new carpet; your mother-in-law arrives unexpectedly for a long visit; the traffic is worse than usual; you flunk the exam you expected to pass. All these are normal afflictions. They are the buffetings of life that come to everyone. Christians are not exempted.

Perplexities: Even the apostles did not always know what to do. They were sometimes uncertain and couldn't understand why God allowed some things to happen. They occasionally found it difficult to make decisions, just like the rest of us. There will be many times of uncertainty in our lives, many occasions when we do not understand what to do, what to say, or why things happen. These are normal perplexities.

Persecutions: The Christian is promised persecutions. This covers the entire range of deliberate offenses against Christians from slight ostracisms, cold shoulders, and critical remarks to smears on reputations, hindrances to ministry, personal and bodily attacks, and even torture and death. Christians can expect any or all of these. The apostles were persecuted unto death, as even the Lord was, and the servant is not greater than his Master.

Catastrophes: Struck down! The word has power to chill the heart. It refers to the stunning, shattering blows which seem to come to us out of the blue — cancer, fatal accidents, a heart attack, riot, war, earthquakes, Alzheimer's disease. Christians are not protected from these catastrophic events. They are terrible experiences that try faith to the limit and leave us frightened and baffled.

But look at the reactions to these trials: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed! Perplexed, but not in despair! Persecuted, but not abandoned! Struck down, but not destroyed! There is a power within, a transcendent power, different from anything else, which keeps pushing back with greater pressure against whatever comes from without, so that we are not crushed, despairing, forsaken, or destroyed.

This power within was given for the very purpose of handling afflictions. We are exposed to them in order to demonstrate a different reaction than one which would come from a person of the world. Our neighbors, watching us, will find us difficult to explain, and it is only when we baffle them that we are likely to impress them with the advantage our faith gives. There will be a quality about us that can only be explained in terms of God at work. It must be evident that the power belongs to God and not to us.

Thank you for those things that keep me dependent on you, Lord. Help me not to despise these things but to rely on you to demonstrate your power in the midst of them.