Difficulty is a fact of life. It was here from the beginning of time and will certainly be here until the end. It does not discriminate against race, religion, sex or occupation. It comes in many forms.
Christians are therefore not immune to difficulty. Wars, disease, divorce, famine etc. come to Christians as well as non-believers. But, Christians are unique in the ways they should handle difficulty.
To be Christian, is to be Christ-like; to exhibit the behavior of our Savior in even the most trying situations. In this Easter season, we have the greatest example of how to deal with difficulty when we consider the life of Jesus Christ.
He was constantly ridiculed by persons who should’ve known the Word.
Luke 16:14 “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.”
Matthew 8:12 “The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
He was sent to bare the sins of persons who don’t deserve such sacrifice.
Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The example that Jesus has set is detailed in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. The earlier articles give details on each aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit, therefore I will look at the collective as adjectives that should describe the Christian in difficult times.
We should be able to love those who persecute us as Christ loved those who persecuted him. We should be joyous with those who celebrate and give a smile and kind word to a stranger. He gives his beloved sleep and therefore we should be at peace in troublesome times. Just as He is faithful to us, we should be faithful to Him. Lastly, we must be able to control our emotions just as He did when faced with the cross.
Recently, I read a book entitled “Man’s search for meaning”. It was written by a doctor who was thrown into a concentration camp. During the time of his encampment, his family was separated and ultimately killed. He was a psychiatrist by the name of Viktor Frankl. The entire aim of the book was to prove that given the right motivation a man, woman, boy or girl can withstand anything, even the evils of Auschwitz. This book was very powerful for me and I encourage everyone to read it. It made me reevaluate my situation and encouraged me to go through my difficulty with the attitude of the Fruit of the Spirit.
As followers of Christ, we can go through difficulty with confidence, knowing that Christ went through difficulty and overcame it. Now he is “at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34