There’s a line of thought doing the rounds and it goes like this…
“Come to Jesus, lose your problems! Jesus makes all things new and you can claim your heart’s desires in prayer. It’s all about becoming a newer and better you!”
Therefore, if you run into those worldly throwbacks of evil or suffering, there must be something wrong with your relationship with God.
This, in a nutshell is the “prosperity gospel” or “positive confession theology”. Otherwise known as the “name it and claim it”, “blab it and grab it” or “health and wealth” gospel.
As opposed to “The Gospel”. There’s a hint there.
Reality Check
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Jesus in Matthew 18:23-26
Am I seeking trouble? Absolutely not. But to think you don’t face problems when you are a believer is just absurd and frankly, destructive. The fact of the matter is, when you’re a Christian, you can count on problems. Maybe more of them now that you are in enemy territory.
Supernatural Check
Evil is present but suffering is optional. I’m not pretending troubles don’t hurt but how much more they hurt beyond their intrinsic pain is up to our perspective and ability to lean on God.
“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”
Jesus in John 16:33
As a believer you can count on problems but you can count more on God’s presence and strength to transcend them.
And as a believer you don’t just suffer problems, you overcome them. You solve them.
Here on earth, we all suffer. The only difference is, how much and for whom and what?
We don’t glorify God by not having troubles, we glorify Him through transcending them.
Self Check
And let’s not suffer because one was not ambassadorial. That’s not a cross one bears but a bear one crossed.
