"This too shall pass." My mom's coworker gave me that advice during a difficult time during my teenage years. She said it with so much resignation that I had to laugh. I love the phrase, but I have found it not always true. Sometimes the darkness doesn't lift. Faith is not something that comes easily during difficult seasons. It's natural to feel frustrated, confused, and even angry with God when life seems to fall apart. But, as difficult as it may be, leaning into your faith during these times is crucial.
God, An Ever-Present Help
It's in the moments when nothing seems to make sense when we can trust in what we already know about God. Psalm 46:1-2 reminds us, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea." Regardless of our circumstances, God is always with us, even in the most difficult and tumultuous times.
Romans 8:28 states, "and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Casually dropping this text on someone in pain can feel dismissive, but the verse is not as problematic as our motivations for using it. You don't have to apply this text like a biblical bandaid if you have nothing to say now. You don't have to say anything at all. You can sit there in silence and mourn with your grieving friends. But properly applied, this verse can help us find much-needed perspective during the dark nights of the soul. It points us to the true character of God, reminding us that even during trials and tribulations, God is working for our good.
Limitations As Invitations
Finally, the hard times are often complicated because they introduce or exaggerate limitations in our lives. You may be dealing with a lingering illness, struggling with grief, or unhappy with your current situation. We all face limitations with which we'd rather not deal. But limitations can also be an invitation.
Take Paul's second letter to the Corinthian Church as an example. Paul shared a bit about his own story. "So to keep me from becoming conceited 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, "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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)."
Look at Paul's approach to his vulnerabilities and limitations. Paul is not minimizing or denying his past pain and present issues. In a sense, he is celebrating them. He says that he is content even boasting gladly in his weakness, that in weakness, there is strength. Like in Paul's case, the things that limit us invite us to look for God in the places we fear the most.
The Bible contains stories of people who faced difficult circumstances yet kept their faith. The redemptive-historical narrative is not about people getting better but about how people that suffer and falter, whether because of their actions or the actions of others, find rest and redemption in a God who pursues them from the Garden to the Red sea, the Cross, and beyond.
If you're going through a hard time right now, know that you're not alone. Remember that even when you lose your grip on God, He holds on to you, even if this, too, shall not pass.
In this week's episode of MercyCast, I talk to Chris Lim, the author of the Heart of the Healer. His story reminds us that God is there even in our darkest moments.