Faith's First Aid

Life has its way of driving us into despair and testing our faith in ways we wish it wouldn’t. We can find ourselves so troubled by the circumstances of our lives that we easily forget Jesus has assured us that we will have trouble (John 16:33) and that He’s commanded us NOT to be “troubled” (John 14:10). Our state of distress, affliction, difficulty, or need, tends to cause our faith to hemorrhage until our faith flatlines—our faith is in desperate need of “first aid.”

We live in a fallen world, so we can be certain that troubles will come, but if your faith is prepared with “first aid,” you can keep life’s circumstances from severing your relationship with God and infecting your peace and joy. Whether you’re going through a divorce, suffering financial failures, or struggling to live through diagnosis of cancer, God is able to mend your heart and bring about greater glory than you can imagine. The key is being prepared so that you don’t panic. But just in case you do, and life’s challenges get the best of you, Faith’s First Aid is this: Keep your problems in perspective, God’s perspective.

We tend to allow life to control us instead of trusting in the One who oversees and controls our lives. And God’s perspective changes everything. When we’re driven to our knees, we have nowhere to look but up, and when we’re looking up, God’s grace pours down. It’s when difficulties start to dissect our faith, we need to clearly understand that we can prevent its destruction by simply doing what Jesus told us to do, “Let not your heart be troubled.” If we’ve been commanded to do something, we have both the capacity and power to do it. We may not “feel” like obeying, but obedience is not about yielding our will to God’s. It’s a choice to control our feelings and emotions in order that we might walk firmly in our faith so that we might experience God’s glory. It will never be easy, so don’t expect that it will be. You’ll find yourself at the feet of Jesus more often than you ever thought would be necessary, but there’s a reason you’re there. God’s perspective allows us to see that “all things work together for good.” And we can only come to embrace that truth if we’re given the opportunity to experience those things that we’d never imagine could or would be used for good—heartbreak, suffering, pain and emptiness. And realize this: God doesn’t work all things together for good “when” we want Him to, and “how” we want Him to. It’s all in His perfect way and his perfect timing.

When we’re in the place “in between,” where the pain has not yet been used for gain, we can follow the example of David in 1 Samuel 30:6 and “encourage ourselves in the Lord.”

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

David made the choice to “not let his heart be troubled.” He had every reason to be troubled beyond comprehension, as the circumstances that lied before him were unthinkable. When life’s troubles were too overwhelming, David sought the Lord, a word from Him, and then he encouraged himself in God’s faithfulness. He trusted God and he became king within 48 hours. Be assured of this: God is full of surprises. And He can move suddenly, in an instant, without notice…and every trouble you face will be trumped with His triumph over them.