Yesterday at church, Matt finished up his sermon series on Habakkuk and it just made me think. At the beginning of the book, he is complaining that God won't do anything and God says, Oh I WILL do something, but you're not going to like it. At the end of the book Habakkuk looks around and says, "There is nothing left and no hope that it'll get any better." Here comes my favorite part: YET I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength.
In the blink of an eye, you can lose it all: health, wealth, family, friends. When it is all gone and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better, what is your outlook on life?
A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer, his responce: If one person comes to know the Lord through my sickness, it'll all be worth it.
I do not have cancer, nor am I homeless. I haven't lost my husband or been betrayed by a close friend... Steven's just in seminary. But even there, I hide from struggle. I hate suffering. I want it to be a pleasant and easy ride with not too many bumps in it.
(I must preface the following paragraph: I'm about to be very honest, so if you can't handle reading my messiness, I would suggest you stop reading now.)
Instead, I have found myself frustrated with the workload. I found myself irritated at, what seemed to me as legalistic theology and griping at the burden of seminary tuition. This morning I had an epiphany. I am actually thankful for the struggles that seminary has brought into our marriage. It has caused me to pray more fervently for my husband, seek the Lord more passionately in my own life and united us together as we fight for a single goal. Prayer has so saturated our hearts that it has welded them together. I've realized that that is something only hardship can bring. Ease can not bring about the same closeness that struggle can.
Will have to listen to the final Habakkuk sermon...we are members at Providence Church now, but still try to keep up with the awesome teaching from Matt. Thanks for this reminder of pressing into God and joy despite the storm.
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ReplyDeleteThat is something I've always dreamt about: a husband that prays together when difficult times come; to bring it to God and hear what He has to say. It must be so lonely to be yoked unequally the way 2 Cor 6:14 describes. I have to admit that I also don't think it is the coolest thing to have hardships. I also find myself seeking out the good 'stuff', however, I can also testify from personal experience that the treasures I have in my relationship with God were all collected during the most difficult times of my life - when it was just God and me. So in a way I almost want to describe it as the best times of my life that I never want to have over again :) A friend of mine's 14yr old son died of leukemia 3 or 4 years ago. I so admired the attitude of his heart: to live is to do something more for God. To die is to be with Him. I think only Holy Spirit can accomplish that in any person. For by His grace there go I...
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