Do not be afraid

When people hear that I've been studying New Testament Greek this year, often they ask me, "So, what difference does it make?"

Someone once told me that it's like "seeing in 3D".  You could also say it's like going from black and white to colour TV; or from mono to stereo. At the time I did not really understand what that meant; but now I think I'm beginning to have a taste of the sweetness of understanding the Biblical text as it's originally written.

This week at Small Group, we came across the story in Mark 6:45-52 where Jesus was walking on top of the water on a lake in the middle of the storm. He had sent the disciples ahead earlier, but they were struggling in the middle of the storm. When they saw Him, they were terrified because they thought He was a ghost!

'Immediately he spoke to them: "Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."' (Mark 6:50 HCSB)

When you look at it in the English, it doesn't really stand out too much. But when you look at the Greek, it gets a little interesting: 

"καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι· μὴ φοβεῖσθε"

(Literally: "And he is saying to them, "Have courage, I I am. Do not be afraid.")

 I I am? What's that about? Why the two I's?

So a little background to know is that in Koine Greek (the Greek of the time of the Bible), the personal pronoun is actually embeded within the verb. So instead of needing two words to express "I am", it can actually just be encompassed with the single word "εἰμι" (pronounced "ey-mee"). To change who it refers to, what you do is you change the word: so for example, the second person form "you are" is represented by "εἶ".

What this means is that the word for "I" (ἐγώ; pronounced "eh-goe") is actually redundant in this context! To say ἐγώ εἰμι is the equivalent of saying "I I am" in English.

What's going on there?

Well, it's kind of the Greek equivalent of emphasising "I am". Or something like "I AM". It highlights it, makes you take notice of it.

Now why would the author do that?

The attentive reader who remembers their Old Testament would instantly recognise echoes of Exodus 3:14, where God gives His personal Name to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM"

And that was where it hit me. Jesus wasn't just telling His disciples not to worry just because He was there. He was telling them, "You don't need to be afraid because I AM GOD." He's in control. Even when everything seemed like everything was going crazy, He was in complete control of the situation, because of who He is.

Now, at this point, I need to point out that we need to be careful not to overstate the ἐγώ εἰμι thing. There are actually instances where other characters use the same wording, and I'm pretty sure they're not saying they were God too! And I'm sure there are probably reasons why many translators go for "It is I" rather than "I am". It's a dangerous thing to know a little bit of Greek! Can make you think you know things that you don't really know… haha…

However, the context of the passage actually makes it a very safe interpretation. Those who've been studying Mark with me will know that up to this point the Big Question that keeps getting asked is "who the heck is this guy?!" Is He just a teacher? Is He a prophet? Or might He be…God?

At this point, Mark is starting to really push the buttons to point at Jesus as God. In the section just before, He feeds bread to the multitude in the wilderness just as God fed bread (manna) to Israel in the wilderness. His mastery over the storm and the sea is reminiscent of passages from Psalms and Isaiah where it describes God as the only one who can control the elements. Even the way that he was "passing by" is written in a way that is reminiscent of how God "passed by" in front of Moses in Exodus!

So whether or not "ἐγώ εἰμι" really is about Jesus proclaiming His Godhood, everything else in the passage is screaming that out!

Which brings us to an interesting observation: I could have probably come to a similar conclusion even without understanding much about "ἐγώ εἰμι"! If I was paying attention to everything else that was happening in the scene, I would probably draw the same conclusion that Jesus' Godhood was on display here.

But the message I "heard" because of "ἐγώ εἰμι" was quite profoundly… sharper? Colourful? Beautiful? "Have courage, I am. Do not be afraid" When I heard that, I was hit in the pit of my stomach. Life is a bit of a storm for me at the moment, and I am very much afraid. But Jesus comes along and says, "Don't be afraid. Hold on to courage, because I am God." Don't be afraid, because I am in control. Don't be afraid, because I love you more than you can imagine. Don't be afraid, because I am.

So yeah, it's not like you're necessarily missing out on HEAPS if you don't know Koine Greek, thanks to the hard work of many faithful translators and preachers. But… you really are missing out on something beautiful if you can't read the original text for yourself ;) Why hear about ice cream when you can taste it for yourself?

Come to Bible College! ;)

Disclaimer: Everything said above is the opinion of a mere first year part-time Bible College student XD 

What does it mean to Believe?

A friend recently asked me a question, and I wrote a rather lengthy reply. I thought it would be helpful to you as well, and so I thought I would post it up.

The verse: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."  John 3:36

The question: May I take this passage literally? Does 'believing in' the son mean just acknowledging that He exists, or is there some hidden clause within the Bible that says I also haveta love Him/worship Him/whatever before I receive eternal life?

My response:

I'm glad you see that there might be something more to understanding the passage. I don't think it's about taking the passage "literally" or not; it's about having a comprehensive understanding of the passage in its proper context, rather than ripping them out of context.

I suppose the key to your question and the passage is this: What does it mean to "believe in" the Son?

One important thing to understand is that John the Baptist is making a "compare and contrast" statement. But what is John comparing and contrasting? The key is the little word, "but". We often notice the first clause, but we forget about the (very) important second clause joined by "but"! So here, it seems that John is comparing "believing" in the Son of God with "rejecting" the Son of God.

Why would "believing" be compared with "rejecting" at first thought it wouldn't make sense. You'd think the opposite of "believing" is "disbelieving" or something like that.

At this point I cheated a bit and went to the Greek hahaha. There's this really cool internet resource that let's you see what the Bible says in its original language, as well as go to the "dictionary meaning" of the word. You can see the section for John 3:36 here. If you click on the numbers (not the words themselves) then you can get to that dictionary I was talking about.

You will see there that "believe" actually comes from the word "pisteuōn"; whereas "reject" comes from "apeithōn". You will notice that "pisteuōn" means "I have faith/trust in" in the Greek, but it is derived from a word for "be persuaded". When you go over to the meaning for apeithōn, you will find it means, literally, "refuse to be persuaded", and is a word used to indicate disobedience and disloyalty. From there, it's a little easier to understand why John would decide to compare "pisteuōn" with "apeithōn", since both has something to do with persuasion.

There are a few important implications from this little word study:

• -          "believe" means more than just an acknowledgement that Jesus exists. ("Even the demons believe - and shudder!" James 2:19). To have eternal life, you have to need to have "pisteuōn" - "faith/trust in" Him. Intellectual assent does not mean saving faith.
• -          Rejecting the Son of God means you will not see life. Disobedience, disloyalty, to the Son means you will not get eternal life. A "refusal to be persuaded" by the Son will lead to death.
• -          When "pisteuōn" is directly compared with "apeithōn", it tells you that both are important criteria to consider. Having faith means obedience. Disobedience indicates lack of faith. They go hand in hand together - one leads to another - and so you cannot just say "I believe" and get a "get out of jail free" card.

What does "faith in the Son" mean anyway? It is much more than the intellectual acknowledgemeent that a single person existed. The entirety of the Bible points to this Son of God as the fulfilment of God's great Promises from ages past; "faith in the Son" means trusting in this very fulfilment. It is much, much more than just believing that Jesus existed. It is believing that "God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

It gets even more interesting when you get out of the single verse itself and consider it in its broader context. What has happened just before and after? Why did the author (John) place this story before/after?

Zooming out a bit you discover this verse was actually some words spoken by John the Baptist, acknowledging that it is good that Jesus was increasing in fame while John the Baptist was decreasing in fame, because ultimately humanity needed to come to faith in the Son, not John the Baptist. What a clear example of faith in the Son of God! He has such faith and trust in the Son that he's willing to step down in importance in order for Jesus to be raised up!

Going back just one more story, you realise that it is actually the story of the Pharisee Nicodemus that comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness to learn about Salvation from Jesus. This was where we get the famous, "For God so loved the world" verse. Notice that in this verse, it talks about "belief" (pisteuōn) as well! So you find out through this story actually starts off a whole section that talks about what "belief" in the Son of God means! Each story is geared to display an aspect of belief, and what it means to believe in the Son of God. After the story of John the Baptist's faith, comes the story of the faith of the Samaritan woman at the well. When she believes, she goes into town and tells everyone about Jesus! The story after that talks a bit about unbelief.

So in summary, paying careful attention to the words the author uses, where he puts the word, and how he shapes the story helps reveal a LOT about the verse. In this particular verse, we find out that Eternal Life can only be gained through faith, trust and obedience in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

An Easy Burden

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

"There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven" - Ecclesiastes 3:1

"While they were traveling, [Jesus] entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
"The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”" - Luke 10:38-42

-------

I never believed that I was that driven a person. Sure, I'm full of ideas and always keen to do something, but shouldn't that normal? There's so little time, and so much to do! There's a world to be saved; how can one stand to just let everything fall to pieces? To be honest, I felt I was too laid back given the circumstances. Thinking a million miles an hour was not fast enough for me.

And then my Depression hit me in the guts, and suddenly even just standing up was hard. It was difficult just to get out of bed; breathing was a chore. Suddenly, I had no power in myself to do anything. And I railed against the injustice of it all.

Why, Lord?! Why can't I do all the good things I want to do for You any more? Why have You stopped me dead in the prime of my life? You know my heart, and You know how I desire to give everything I've got for the Kingdom. Aren't these good and fruitful desires?

Now "everything I've got" means simply staying alive. It takes all I have to do the simplest things, and I can't do all the many things I want to do for the Kingdom.

Why?

"My yoke is easy and my burden is light"

...Wut???

An image then came to mind of the yoke. For those who aren't familiar with the term, a yoke is a device that allows two cows to be hooked up together so that they can pull together. It can also be used to get a more experienced cow to guide a less experienced cow; or for a stronger cow to help a weaker cow. 

In this image, I'm yoked with Jesus. He's doing the heavy lifting. I'm just a weak young calf, but I strain as hard as I can... but in an uncoordinated way that probably is terribly counterproductive! But Jesus bears it with good grace and just finds it a bit funny.

I came to realise that the Depression is His yoke for me. It is true that it holds me back; but it holds me back so that I can depend on Him more, learn to listen to Him more, learn to work in His way more. I may feel frustrated by the limitations it places on me, but He has good reasons to put it there. 

And His yoke is easy! Too easy, in fact. I struggle with the fact that He doesn't let me do more. I would much rather be used up fully by Him for great and grand designs; but He holds me back and humbles me with the simple task of getting up and staying alive.

But then I realise: what if I didn't struggle against the yoke? What if I simply rested in the limitations that God has placed in me? What if I realise that all He wants for me to do now is to be able to get up out of bed? What if He doesn't want me to do all the great and wonderful things I think I should be doing?

I realised that the cow that simply follows the direction of the yoke has a much easier time of it!

Lord, give me the grace to be humble and accept that I can only do small things at the moment. Help me to treasure this time of rest You have placed upon me, for my own good. There is a time for everything under the sun; and You know better than anyone else when the best time for anything is. Help me to rest easy and simply enjoy the days walking easy with you day-by-day, side-by-side. Even if I do nothing more significant for the rest of my life than walk with You, let it be enough. Let my heart be satisfied with Your company.

Praying against Mountains

"I assure you: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.' - Matt 21:21-22

I woke up with some melancholic thoughts about the difficult situations that people I loved were in. I felt the weight of my 'unanswered' prayers, hopes and aspirations for them. I wanted God's best for them, and prayed for that fervently, but those prayers seemed very, very far from fulfilment at this point in time. The World looked like a very bleak place where we were fighting a losing battle.

But then God used this passage to open my eyes to the faithlessness of my prayers.

There is a lot in the story surrounding this passage that I don't understand (eg. why blast a fig tree, Jesus?! lol), and I suppose I've used my lack of understanding to skip over the bits where Jesus is quite explicit but I find hard to believe. Whatever I ask? Will receive? Isn't that a bit too strong? Surely there are exceptions, such as needing to pray according to God's Will, etc.

And maybe there are; but I realised this morning that I had gone too far the other way.

I pray without faith, without certainty, without trust, without reliance. When I pray, I pray with a heart that expects that I don't really know God that well; and so I don't really know what He wants; and so whatever I pray for may or may not happen, no matter how 'right' it seems. And so I prepare contingency plans in my own strength, knowing that if God doesn't pull through, at least I have a plan.

But this isn't praying with faith - there isn't a mustard seed's worth. It isn't letting go of my will, dreams, hopes and aspirations and trusting that God's Will is better than whatever I can come up with. It isn't letting myself be vulnerable; I'm not putting myself in a position where if God doesn't pull through I'm royally screwed.

It isn't praying in accordance with what I already know about His good, loving, righteous character that overflows with compassion and concern for us.

Holy Spirit, give me the seed of faith I need to pray well. Open my ears to hear Your voice, so I know what You want me to pray for, so I know in faith it is given even before I have finished praying. Fill me with the assurance that comes with the certain understanding of Your character that is full to overflowing with love, so that I can pray with power. Help me let go of my fear of failure, so that I can rest in the assurance that comes with Your provision. The mountains may move, and they may not, but let me throw my lot in with You and trust You in prayer rather than in my own plans.

My Calling :)

So I recently made a big decision to commit to pursuing full-time Ministry :)

I can't say there was a single event that changed my life - there was no booming voice from Heaven lol - but a series of revelations happening in quick succession between Thursday (14th) and Friday (15th) of last week led me to this decision. It's the culmination of all the thinking and praying I've been doing in the last half a year, and everything just suddenly "clicked" into place.

One of the big issues that has come up in recent months in my discussions with my psychologist is this: What does Vincent want? I would never be able to answer, because I didn't know what I really wanted; I felt like I didn't really particularly want anything. But after some self-reflection, I came to realise that I have been so practised at suppressing what I did want that I no longer knew what I wanted.

Why did I suppress what I wanted? Well a dozen reasons and factors from my upbringing come to mind, but essentially I came to think that what I wanted was either:

a.       Bad; or

b.       Dispensible for the greater good (ie it is better for everyone if I kept quiet about what I wanted rather than rock the boat with yet another opinion); or

c.       Not as important as what other people (particularly my parents) wanted for me.

Another reason is that my insecurity and uncertainty of identity (not my love for people!) drives me to pursue what other people want so they would accept me, and so I suppress my own desires to the extent that I do not even know what I want for myself.

So how is all that related to my calling for Ministry?

Well, for many, many years I have known that I love serving God, His church and His people. I keep wishing I had more time and energy to devote to it. Yet, I had several reservations about it:

a.       Was this really what God has "called" me to do, or is this just what I want selfishly for myself? *insert self-accusatory tone*

b.       I've spent so much time, money and effort training as a doctor; isn't that just as beneficial for society? How do I know that God doesn't want me to serve through medicine?

c.       How do I deal with other people's expectations of me? I may not articulate outwardly, but I have always been afraid to disappoint. I am talented, gifted and passionate, and I was afraid how other people would think of me "throwing away" Medicine as such a waste of personal (in terms of finances and lifestyle) and societal gain.
And how about my parents?! How could I dishonour them? They have spent so much on my education, been through so much financial hardship, how could I dare to throw it all away before I have even paid a fraction back?! (In fact, I currently owe them even more than since I graduated from Uni!)

d.       Would I be capable of doing this? Ministry is not an easy life; I have so many problems and failings. If I can't stand on my own two feet now, how could I dare to step forward in service? And what about all my personal foibles and failings?

For these reasons (and maybe more), I had developed this subtle, indefinable feeling that Ministry was a "bad choice"; maybe it was good for other people, but for some reason it was bad for me. Of course, it didn't stand to reason and the logic is faulty (as I will go on to explain), but I was too afraid to stare it in the eye and challenge it.

There is no doubt in my mind that this contributed to my mental illness. There was a constant struggle to supress the deep-seated and intractable desire in my heart and mind to give more and more of my life to God's work. This war between the call of the "reasonable life" and the life given over to God tore at my soul, drained my emotional resources and left me vulnerable. It may not be the sole or core cause, but it's an important factor.

So what happened to change all that? (and so quickly too!)

Well, I finally recognised that Ministry really was my deepest desire, and that it wasn't really that bad a choice :)

I don't remember how exactly, but my eyes were somehow opened to the fact that my deepest desire is to devote my life to God in Ministry to His people. Exactly how I may not be certain (though I have some ideas), but I wanted to give my life over to Him. And Medicine was getting in the way.

Further, I recognised that God's calling on my life and the desires of my own (transformed and redeemed) heart were one and the same thing! Who planted this desire in my heart but God Himself?! Surely it was not a thing of my own effort. Back when I barely knew God I could care less about serving Him in Ministry (apart from doing the bare minimum to "tick the boxes"). But as I grow to know Him more, the more this desire grows and wants to take over my life. When I am close to Him, the desire is overwhelming; when I am far from Him, it is not.

It was so amazing to realise that God wanted me to pursue the desires of my heart, which He planted within me in the first place when I gave my life to Him!

After that happened, it became apparent to me that the reason why this desire did not play a bigger part in my life was because I had developed an unhealthy suppression of that desire. Recognising that calling tore away the excuses I had used - as sunlight tears through fog, or as earthquakes tear down walls - and such LIGHT shone in my heart.

Suddenly I KNEW that my Beloved Father wants me to chase this dream; that He is delighted to lift me up to this adventurous life of relying on Him for everything. He doesn't care how much I have given to other things in life before; He will make so much more out of it that nothing will compare. Other people's expectations didn't matter anymore; in fact it just gives me even more opportunities to share about this Jesus who I love so much that I would be willing to give Him everything, even Medicine. (And I wouldn't just be talking about it; I would be living proof of what I say!)

And my parents? Well, it didn't matter anymore haha. And even if it did, they love Jesus too. And I knew they ultimately wanted me to be happy more than anything in the world; and nothing will make me happier than giving my whole life to Jesus.

The reason why first-world Christians are so miserable and their faith so dead is that they are torn between the Spirit's call to lay down everything for Jesus and the World's lure of a comfortable life. The Seductress saps our will and renders us incompetent and powerless. It is only when we can let go of this World's empty promises that we can find the joy and power of the Spirit. And the more we suppress and frustrate the Spirit, the more we lose our joy in Him.

A friend told me not to let the flame of these revelations die out. Rather, I believe I need to avoid quenching the fire, to avoid suppressing it!!

So what's next? Where to from here?

There are still a lot of things to work out. For one thing, I'm still unwell and need to recover; while these realisations have lifted a great burden off my heart, the day-to-day struggles with illness still continues. Practically, debts still have to be paid and food still needs to be put on the table (for the cat at least!). (And I would like to at least return to pre-uni parental debt levels before I dive into full time ministry lol…)

The practical issues are being addressed extremely quickly. Knowing the fact that I'm aiming to be out of General Practice within 5 years helps me to understand how I should approach work. True general practice requires the doctor to be there for the patient regularly for decades; and if I'm aiming to be leaving "soon" (whether in 1 year or 5), then it's a bit pointless to try and build up that patient base. (In fact, maybe that has been why God has prevented me from accumulating a following however much I tried this year!). So instead I should be focusing on work that does not require long-term follow-up: after-hour clinics; specialised clinics; maybe some ED work; focusing on my Government guidelines work or medical education. For the immediate future, I have already organised to shorten my hours at the clinic and increase my hours with Metro South Health in a few weeks' time.

And with my illness and failings? Well, no one goes into Ministry perfect. And it "just so happened" that recently I have been reflecting on what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9: "So to keep me from becoming conceited [prideful] because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

I may feel weak and incapable, but it is in this very weakness that God is most pleased to act, because reveals His glory most gloriously :)

So it's all good :) So very, very good :)

------

PS - I do not consider, in any way, that my time spent journeying through Pharmacy and Medicine a "waste of time". It was a necessary journey to bring me to where I am at right now, to the right place at exactly the right time.

Is God my strength?

"Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust Him and not be afraid, for Yah, the Lord , is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.” - Isaiah 12:2

What does it mean that God is my strength?
How does my life reflect that belief?
Are my life actions consistent with my claimed beliefs?

Those were the questions running through my head as I pondered on this verse in my Jesus Time this morning.

"Jesus Time". A new term I learnt during my short term mission experience in Thailand in July last year, but also known as "quiet time", "devotions", etc.; basically time spent connecting with God in His Word and in prayer. 

It is amazing how Christians can run around in their busy lives ignoring God. We claim that we need Jesus, that He is essential in everything we do... yet in actual fact we do everything we can to push him out of the way, or at least to box him into one little corner of our lives.

For most of my Christian life, I have neglected the spiritual discipline of spending time in intimate connection with God regularly. Yes, I may have read my Bible and said my prayers, but if I was honest with myself I would realise that I did not seek that deep a level of connection; and that I did not see that connecting with God was an essential part of my life routine. This is even more amazing considering how much Ministry work I pack into my life; it was like I was trying to do God's work for Him instead of with Him, not wanting to bother Him too much. 

A vine cannot bear much fruit without a healthy connection to the Branch, however, and eventually I paid the price of trying to serve God without connecting with Him enough. I've had many periods of burnout, but this one has been the deepest, longest and most troubling by far.

But "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love." Through the trials of the last year, He has forced me into a situation where I'm only working part-time. Through a series of events, God convinced me to "quarantine" at least two mornings a week to spend quality time with Him over coffee, reading His Word then praying with Him. The difference here from previous efforts was that this involved larger chunks of time; a deeper level of intimacy; and a greater level of commitment and regularity.

I won't say that this practice has produced the results that I wanted; it has not "cured" me, and it has not meant I could suddenly zip around doing everything I want to. However, through the months, I have grown to appreciate how essential this practice has become in my life. In a gentle, difficult-to-quantify, way, I have come to see God in action in my life. It is similar to how water dripping on a rock softly but persistently can eventually crack it open; you wouldn't expect that to be possible, but it produces such powerful results! Inspiration comes unexpectedly; things just happen with prayer. You come to understand God better; you know when He is at work, and when He wants you to just sit back and enjoy the show He is putting up.

Christian, you need Jesus in your life. And when I say you need Jesus, I don't just mean you need Him as your "ticket to Heaven"; or just some superficial connection to the church community; or some mental acquiescence to His principles and teachings. You need Him IN your life; living, vibrant and active; permeated through every aspect and every moment of your life. Life disconnected from Him is no life at all; and you cannot have that connection with Him without spending precious time with Him in His Word and in prayer. It is more vital than food, water, money or shelter, even if your bodies and the World would tell you otherwise.

So how will you do this? How will you make sure that you stay connected to the Source of Living Water? What sacrifices do you need to make to make sure you do this?

Full-time workers and Parents (especially of young children), I do not have any good answers for you and I do not envy your lack of the precious commodity of time. I am grateful that I work in a job that allows me to work part-time; I do not know if I could ever work full-time again, as I do not know if I would be able to keep up this practice of meeting with God regularly if I worked full-time. But all I know is: it is essential.

Students and children: make the most of your time! You have such a precious gift in the amount of time you have. Develop good habits now, while you still can. Put the effort in to spending time with God regularly; taste and see that the Lord is good, so that your soul will understand how vital the Living Spirit is for life, and so your thirst for Him will force you to run to Him all the time for your daily Bread.

And for those who want to serve God, remember: you cannot serve Him well without being steeped in His Presence.

You will never come to the end of your life, look back and say, "I spent too much time with Jesus".

Blessed Suffering

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God…

Romans 8:28a

Some people are incredibly blessed. I would even say unfairly so. Whatever they do, they succeed. They don't even need to try. They never get into accidents, or even if they do they come out unscathed. They never get sick. When finances are a bit of a worry, money would just magically appear out of nowhere for them. Everything just works for them.

And it makes me jealous. Why do they get to have the easy life, and I must have it so hard? Why are You picking on me God? Why must I struggle every moment, when these other people (who are much less faithful and obedient!) get to just glide through life without a hitch?

The Blessed Ones make it even worse when they turn around and say, "Don't worry, just trust God and He will make things work out. Just have a little bit more faith. All things work together for the good of those who love God, after all, right? Look at me, I've been faithful, and see how much God has blessed ME!"

Which only makes me struggle more. Things AREN'T working out for me. Life SUCKS. So what does that mean? Does it mean that I don't love God? Does it mean that He doesn't care? Does it mean that I don't matter to Him?

But take a moment and think about it.

Does living the easy life help anyone? Not that much really. Yes, maybe the blessed one can be in a better place to give more, if they care to do so. But even when they try to love others, they do not understand the ones they are trying to minister to. They may try and sympathise, but it is hard for them to empathise, to step in the other's shoes and understand things from their perspective.

The Afflicted, on the other hand, are blessed by their curse. Because they have suffered, they understand what suffering means, and can love in a more compassionate and real way. You understand me when you have lost as I have. Those who haven't, they're just pretenders. They think they know where I'm coming from, but they don't really. Sitting high in their marble towers, they can't truly imagine what life down in the mud is like.

So the Afflicted are in fact, in a very weird way, blessed: blessed because they have been given a unique means to be a blessing.

Bible verses must always be read in context. You can never understand a text without understanding where it comes from; what comes before and what comes after. The Romans 8:28a quote is a deliberate truncation to make you forget about the before and after; but if you look at the full chapter (and more), then its true meaning blows you away.

Romans 8 was written to a suffering people, by a suffering man. Paul and the Christians he was writing to were all suffering some form of persecution for their faith, some more violent than others. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." (Rom 8:18). "Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of You

we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered." (Rom 8:35-36)

Paul is not saying in Romans 8:28 that God will give those who love Him a perfect, painless, easy life. He is saying that God, in His incredible and ultimate Sovereignty and Power, is able to transform all things - yes, even the most terrible, painful, horrible things that Satan has to throw at us - into things that work out for our ultimate Eternal good and His glory. NOTHING can get in the way of God's goal: to transform us to be like Christ. If you are God's Child, Satan can throw poverty, starvation, cancer, job-loss, whatever, and he will NOT BE ABLE TO SEPARATE YOU FROM THE LOVE OF GOD.

The poor in spirit are blessed,

for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Those who mourn are blessed,

for they will be comforted.

The gentle are blessed,

for they will inherit the earth.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed,

for they will be filled.

                                            Matthew 5:3-6

So what is the point of all this suffering? Transformation. Transformation to be more like Christ. Like gold refined in fire, our souls are being burnt and cleansed by suffering so that we know the glory of what it means to love as Christ loves.

And if you think that it's just all too much to bear, think of the one who suffered the most: Jesus Christ Himself. God didn't just ordain suffering for His followers; He Himself entered into that suffering WITH us. Why an all-powerful sovereign God would do that is beyond my understanding; if it was me I would stay far away from suffering! But God loved us SO MUCH He chose to enter into this suffering with us - and more, He took on the suffering of the entire WORLD on Himself!

So if you are suffering, take heart. If you love Jesus, He has a good purpose for this suffering for you; He will make all of it worth it, as He will use it to transform you to be like Himself. And if you think He doesn't understand your suffering, think again: He took on the suffering of the whole World, so that you can be saved. That is a might bit more than what you will ever go through ;)

And it also makes me think: You know, if all of my suffering can one day help lead just one person to Christ, I think that would be worth it :) I say it with tears in my eyes, but I really think it would be.

UGHHHHHHHHHHHH hahahaha

PS - Disclaimer: Just wanted to say that this understanding of Romans 8 was mainly because of a sermon that John Piper preached on this topic. Unfortunately I don't have the specific details (it's an oooold sermon). But yeah, I didn't come to this understanding myself :P