The Reason For Our Seasons

 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2: 10 NKJV 

It might just be one of the most prayed prayers in the history of the church.  Why me, God?  As we struggle through one bad situation or another.  One ailment or another.  It is a question we might just ask of a God whom we were taught to believe would protect and care for us if we only believed.  So, what went wrong?  Did we suddenly stop believing?  Did God become upset and pull the plug on His love and support for us?  Well, if you are a member of a mainstream traditional church, these are the answers you might just get to this question.  You haven't prayed enough.  You haven't tithed enough.  Blah blah blah.  Are we to believe, then, that a God who never changes has suddenly turned a 180 and abandoned us because of our failure to utter a timely prayer or fork over a few more dollars to the church corporation?  I have always felt uneasy about such claims uttered by church officials.  First of all, it relegates our heavenly Fathers love for us into a reward system.  Want God to love you, well you need to pray more or drop more into that offering plate.  Does anyone but me see the ridiculousness of this line of thinking?  Yet many a Christian the world over buy into this idea of somehow buying God's love.  It's bunk.  So it is that get into another conversation, why is it that a loving God would allow His children to suffer through times of adversity and sickness?  Jesus Himself tells us that we should not think that we will be immune to suffering simply because we believe in Him {John 16:33}.  We should not expect that we will not be afflicted, but that through Christ Jesus we will.  We can correctly assume that we don't go it alone in our struggles, but that Jesus is there with us.  The apostle Paul reminds us of this truth when he speaks to Christ Jesus in you {Galatians 2:20}.  In fact, my understanding of Christ in me led me to a different understanding of an amazing passage.  In Philippians, Paul explains that he can do all things through the strength of Christ Jesus {Philippians 4:13}.  Not only that, but Christ Jesus IS our strength in time of need.  

To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

Colossians 1: 29 NKJV 

I decided upon the title of this post after hearing the testimony of a few friends who have undergone or are in the middle of a struggle in their own lives.  Not only that, but I've recently found myself in the middle of a few difficult situations.  As I mentioned, just because we believe in Jesus, we are not immune to the trials of life.  Far too often we fall into the mindset of seeing Jesus as a far-off observer instead of knowing the truth of Christ in us.  In this scenario, when we are afflicted, we immediately turn to the one who promised never to leave us {Hebrews 13:5}.  Then, when we perceive that our situation may not be improving, we immediately run to God to inquire why He is ignoring us.  Sound familiar?  I get it.  Here's something new.  Because we know that we are not immune to Lifes trials, how about we try a radical new way of responding to them?  How about instead of asking God why He isn't working, we ask Him what He's doing through us?  What is it that God is working in our lives through us?  Now THAT is more in tune with the truth of Christ Jesus in us.  Of course, you won't find this truth preached from any church pulpit that I know of.  What is the reason for our seasons?  Our pain may make it personal to us, but it is the Father who is working through us.  

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12: 10 NKJV 

~Scott~