In the midst of trial we tend to throw our arms up and cry, “God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”, not fully understanding the significance of such trial. How many can honestly say that they welcome trials and tribulations? Not I for sure. Yet in our Christian faith, we must at some point partake of the cup of Jesus. It is only through this drinking that we come to understand our walk of faith and grow strong in its ramifications.
Jesus was Lord and He knew the reason for his sufferings, the purpose for which He came. This is the great paradox of our Christian faith, the “great mystery of the cross,” that is mentioned in the Bible. And yet through the dire image of the cross comes our greatest blessing, our greatest joy, our greatest hope. How unhumanly conceivable! To the world, the cross is foolishness, as Paul the apostle so rightly states. But God did not choose what would be ordinary or common sense to save the world. It is this that should ground our faith. For after all, put yourself into God’s position: Would you choose something common to save the world, or would you choose something that would require intense belief because it was so contrary to majority opinion? When we view the cross from this perspective, the scales fall from our eyes, and the blinding light shines through.
Now in the midst of trial, we should look to the cross as our saving grace. This is hard to do as we are human and weak by nature; and yet the spirit be willing, the flesh is always weak. Now here is something to consider that might help in our struggle: the realization that Christ knew His purpose, yet we know this only through our faith. Although this knowledge could never attenuate the physical suffering He experienced—as God designed it this way—Christ was in a position that we could never be. How precious might we be in His sight then, as He watches us, knowing full well we have neither the resources nor essence of His most beloved Son, to go through trials while we cling tenaciously to our faith? And though we stumble and drop our cross, yet He knows how noble our efforts in the midst of trial.
Let us not be ashamed therefore by what the world throws our way. All this is part of His divine plan. Let us be comforted by the knowledge that Christ suffered—yet He was God; we suffer—yet we are men.
