How can you promise abundant life when there is so much trouble in the world?
One of the most common questions asked about Christianity is: “How could a good God allow so much destruction?ˮ The world is clearly in chaos; itʼs something no one could deny. We see disorder and experience problems on a daily basis. We fall into patterns of struggle and we lack the joy we see promised in the Bible. When everything around us is disorderly, we can start to get upset, or even angry. We pray to God and ask Him to help us. In so doing, we generally ask two things: Why is this happening? And why doesn’t God just fix it? The thing is, when we approach struggles this way, weʼre actually doing it backwards. We ask God to come help us and fix our problems, but God doesnʼt actually operate this way. Instead, He tells us to abide with Him. Through our abiding relationship with Him, He will reveal the truth of our situation and give us peace in the midst of an unpeaceful situation. As we let Him direct us through the situation, He provides amazing resolution and inexplicable peace.
But how do we get there?
Worldview
The first thing to consider is your worldview. This will inform how we you and understand the difficulties that surround you. Does God cause adversity? Are all negative things that happen to us spiritual attack? Are you supposed to just accept it your adversity as a reality of life? Letʼs look at the truth of adversity, as laid out in the scriptures.
A world of chaos: steal, kill, destroy.
We all live in a world of chaos. This is one of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith. And the chaotic state of the world is only going to get worse. Why? Because underneath it all is the brokenness of sin. People are continuously choosing their own paths and harming one another in the pursuit of selfish desires. We live in a world where everyone believes their only concern is themselves. When people are each pursuing only themselves, they become determined to follow their own will no matter the cost. They fail to listen to anyone else, instead going their own way, disrespecting, oppressing, and shutting others down as they go. No one can deny that we live in this world of chaos. The question is, do you think that the chaos you find in your life is Godʼs doing?
1 John 5:19
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world
is under the control of the evil one.
As stated in 1 John (as well as Luke 4:1 and Ephesians 2:1-4), the world is under the control of Satan. Many of us, when we first hear this, think “What? I thought God was in control of everything.ˮ But, as we can read here, the scriptures say differently. If we really study the scriptures, we will find that the world is under the control of Satan. How? When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them authority over the world, to rule as His ambassadors. And when they chose to go down the path of sin, they relinquished their control over the world, giving it to Satan instead. The world under Satanʼs rule is a world of chaos, disorder, division, hatred, arrogance, pride, and self-centeredness.
Today, we see the world working against anything thatʼs of value to Christians. Just ten or fifteen years ago, we could speak freely of our faith and our values. Now, what we say and speak as Christians is considered hate speech. The culture created by this is chaotic. We experience that. But, if we take a step back, we can see that this should not be surprising. Do you think today is an unusually awful time in history? If we could go back in time and stay there a week, we would see wickedness, evil, and chaos just as awful, if not more so, than the times we live in today. Why? Because thatʼs the world we live in. The Bible tells us of the condition of humanity and the state of the world. Why are we surprised when we see chaos and evil in the world?
The world is under the control of Satan and thus is full of the things which come from him—kill, steal, and destroy. But Christ tells us that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). In His Kingdom, there is order, peace, and beautiful, abundant life for each of us. He doesnʼt take us out of the world, or exempt us from suffering and chaos, but He promises to overcome it. In short, God does not create the chaos we see in the world. That is Satanʼs doing. God is the One who offers a way through it all. He allows the destruction to take place so that we can freely choose Him, and thus truly experience His love. And when we choose Him, He promises to guide us through any adversity we face, granting us His peace along the way.
Peace in the midst of chaos
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have
peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world.ˮ
Christ says that He has told us these things so that we can have peace. We often incorrectly assume that peace and trouble are antithetical to one another, but this is not the case. So, then, how do we find peace in the midst of chaos?
In order to find Godʼs peace, we must go back to the Source; we have to come back to abiding and allowing Him to navigate us through our situations. This means seeking Christ personally and listening for His voice. As Christians, we often try to look for absolutes. What should I do? Who can tell me for sure how I should act? Many Christians in todayʼs culture try to find this surety in respected pastors. They go to church, listen to a famous pastor, and try to discover what he says on the topic. But, when we do this, we fail to find true absolutes. You may find the opinion of one pastor, but another well-respected pastor will have a completely different opinion. Furthermore, thereʼs no guarantee that either of them is correct! So where do I find truth? You have to go to God for yourself. The answer to your situation is going to be individual to you, so you need to go to Him and ask: how would you have me function? What do I need to do or receive in order to find peace and guidance in my situation? And you can ask this knowing that He says He will protect you, give you health and safety, and guide you through this chaotic world.
One key to remember is: If Iʼm truly listening to Him, I trust Him with the result. Even if the result looks different than how I thought it would, I can trust that He will get me through. He says that all His paths are Shalom: peace, favor (Proverbs 3-17). If Godʼs paths are peace, this means that if we are on His path, we will have peace. We like to call this confirmation. Do you have God’s peace? If you donʼt feel peace in your heart, you are likely not on Godʼs path. At the very least, you have some abiding and processing to do before you move forward. What happens when we think we hear something but havenʼt confirmed it? Oftentimes we jump to conclusions. When we act on something before confirming it, we havenʼt taken the time to hear all that God has to say, including the steps He wants us to take. We act before listening, and this causes our situation not turn out as we heard it would. God wants to help you refine the process of hearing His voice. Often, it is only partly about resolving your situation. He has more for you, and wants to teach you through the process! We must be careful not to automatically act on the first impression we receive. When we do this, we end up taking it too far and muddling it with our own ideas. God wants to process with you, and confirmation is part of that. He has to teach us how to process well, and we have to be willing to understand that.
So, do you have peace in your heart? If not, go back and process more with Him.
How do we handle adversity?
So we know that the world is full of chaos, and that God has promised us peace in the midst of that chaos. And we know that we find that peace through processing with Him. But how do we do face our troubles practically? How do we handle adversity and find resolution?
Avoid assumption.
As Christians, we tend to do one of two things when we face adversity. Some of us like to go to resignation. This is the Christian fatalist perspective, that accepts whatever happens to us as Godʼs will. The second thing many Christians like to do is assume that itʼs Godʼs will for us to pray for whatever outcome seems best in our own eyes. If we face an illness, we assume that itʼs Godʼs will for us to be healed. But this isnʼt necessarily the case. At some point, we will all die. And itʼs possible that this illness is the way that God is taking you home. And if thatʼs His plan, you can pray for healing all day long, but it wonʼt change Godʼs will (which Paul actually says is gain!). When we assume the outcome, we either end up anxious about making it happen, or disappointed that it didnʼt turn out exactly as we expected. This causes us to question God, when the truth is that we never sought His will in the first place! Instead of going to resignation or assuming the outcome, we ought to ask God what He has to say about our situation. Lord, what do I need to understand about this situation, and what do You want me to pray? It is not about the outcome, because, ultimately, Godʼs will in the situation will always be the best outcome. We just might not see it yet. Our job is not to pray for our desired outcome, but to seek His will, knowing that His will is best none better.
Consider Godʼs timeline.
A major piece of Godʼs will is His timeline. As humans, we tend to think of time in a very linear way. When God tells us something, we say, “I would like this to happen for me in the next few days. Perhaps the next week or so.ˮ But God may be working over a much longer period of time, because His timing is much broader than what we can see. Thereʼs two things that God says you donʼt really have the right to ask Him:
- How is this going to happen? His will will happen supernaturally. It isnʼt something you can get to on your own. Your job is to walk with Him as He reveals His plan step by step.
- When is this going to happen? He has said that it will happen. Do you believe it? Walk with Him and learn to trust Him through the process of abiding. We are to stay in the Kingdom, living in His peace and joy, as the troubles we are working through are still occurring. How can we do this? Because God says He will take care of it, and we can trust Him in that. It may take longer than you think, because He is doing something circumstantially. He is lining things up and doing things in your heart that are necessary for you to receive what He has for you. Itʼs like a line up of dominoes. Donʼt hit that domino until He tells you to, because He is working on lining it all up. And when He tells you to hit it, and you do, it sets in motion all these other things that are going to happen downstream. His timing takes much more into account than we could ever imagine.
The key: a willing heart.
Everybody struggles in life—Christians and non-Christians alike. However, as Christians, we have the guarantee—yes, guarantee!—that God will restore us and give us a fulfilling life. He will deliver His covenant to us. The question is: are you willing to go? A lot of people respond to this idea that God will restore and deliver the covenant by saying “No, I think youʼre off base. You canʼt guarantee anything.
Iʼve been suffering and I prayed and God isnʼt working and it isnʼt happening.ˮ Itʼs okay to not understand, but are you willing to learn? Are you willing to consider that there might be a new way? Because if you follow God, He promises to deliver His covenant, if you trust Him. God says thereʼs a condition to receiving the abundant life, and that condition is that you have to abide in Him.
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Jesus says that apart from Him, you can do nothing. Does God have a heart for you? Yes. Does God want you to suffer? No. But this verse is an absolute: apart from Me you can do nothing. If you are walking in the flesh, apart from the Spirit, you can do nothing. You are at enmity with God, and He will not force you to follow His way. So, when you are struggling, the question to ask is: Am I willing to follow God and seek His will? Do I believe that God will deliver His promised peace and joy in the midst of my situation? From the experience of all of our ministry leaders, we can tell you that everybody who has come and said theyʼd like to learn how to abide in Christ has experienced a beautiful life. That doesnʼt mean they never face trouble. It just means that when they do, God works in their life to overcome it and lead them through it. He has answers for you if you have a heart to go.
Listen to His Words
Proverbs 4:1-7, 20, 23
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
20 My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
These verses very clearly say to pay attention. Pay attention to what? Godʼs words. This includes what He speaks to you through scripture, His promises to you, and the truth that He will speak into your heart. As He gives you verses and you begin to absorb them, He says the key is to get them into your heart. This is what abiding is all about. As many of us read scripture, we end up either zipping through it or conducting a devotional time where we read the passage one time and move on. But God is saying that we need to get His words into our hearts. We need to stop and meditate on the word God gives us. We need to memorize the scriptures He has given, meditate on them, and process them. What does it mean to surrender your life to God? What does it mean that Heʼs going to bless you? He says pay attention and get His words into your heart. Once you have, He will test you on it. If youʼve received His promise, you should expect it to happen. If you still struggle, you don’t have faith yet. Thatʼs an okay place to be in, as long as you continue to seek Him.
The types of adversity
As you seek Godʼs will on how to handle your situation, it is important to identify the kind of adversity you are facing. There are many different sources of adversity, and identifying which one you are facing will bring clarity to your situation and give you direction on how to proceed.
1. Test of faith
James 1:2-3
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
In James chapter 1, it says to count it all joy when we encounter various trials, because itʼs a test of faith. What does it mean for God to be testing your faith? When God tests your faith, He is asking you: Do you believe it? Do you believe the promise I gave you? The word I spoke to you? We are often quick to respond, “Yes, Lord, I believe it.” The test of faith is to show you whether or not you truly do. When our circumstances turn south and negative things happen which don’t line up with what God promised you, we are tempted to go to fear, worry, and anxiety, or to give into resignation. Instead, we are to put our faith in the promises God has given us. This is just a short term setback–it’s a test of faith. It’s important to remember that if you fail, He doesn’t condemn you for it. He just says, “Stick with Me. I’ll give you the faith to believe this. I’m showing you that you thought you believed it, and you really don’t. Let’s go process on this some more.”
Testing vs. Trouble
James 1:13-14
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,ˮ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
As we go on in James 1, it says that God never tests or tempts anybody. This is not the same as the test of faith. This testing or tempting is that which leads you into evil, or places that are negative, irritating, or frustrating. God is not leading you into any of that. Itʼs not in His nature. When that happens, it is because you are being drawn away by your own selfish desires. And then you fall into temptation
because the enemy has enticed you to use your self-centered perspective to lead you down a path of trouble. In these circumstances, we must be careful not to go to Christian fatalism and decide that God must have led us into this.
2. General adversity
We all live in a broken and chaotic world. There are things that are going to happen to us simply as a result of the world we live in. Your furnace might go out in the middle of a cold spell or maybe a hurricane hits your town. These things are not God bringing you adversity. It is not even Satan bringing you adversity. Itʼs the result of the broken world we live in, all of which is subject to entropy (everything is gradually heading toward destruction). The mechanical things we buy wear out and destruct. Natural disasters happen. Itʼs not because youʼve done something wrong or the Enemy is attacking you. Itʼs just part of general adversity.
The best way to identify general adversity is to ask yourself: Is it unique to me? General adversity may be an annoyance, or it may cause you to struggle, but look around you—everybody faces it. The only thing you can now do is say, “Okay, Father, what do you want me to do?ˮ Seek His will in the situation, and remember that He offers you peace in the midst of any trial you face.
3. You caused it yourself
Another cause of adversity is yourself. All of us, at times, decide to go our own way and not check in with God about the path He has set before us. This is what we call operating in the flesh:
Romans 8:5
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Those living in the flesh are those who operate in the natural; they use their own logic and emotional desire to guide them through life, as opposed to listening to the Spirit and following Him as their guide. As a result of being in the flesh, they end up exiting the Kingdom, where they are protected, and going down a path of more and more trouble. Many of us experience trouble and say, “It must be an
attack of the Enemy.ˮ In a lot of cases, our adversity comes as a result of walking from God and into a world full of trouble. What we need to do in these scenarios is repent, turn back to God, and allow Him to provide restoration. However, a lot of people choose not to do this, and instead continue to follow their own path. What happens when we do this?
Hebrews 12:6
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every
son whom he receives.
Now that youʼve caused adversity and have refused to turn back to God, God actually increases it for the purpose of bringing you back to Himself. He loves you enough to want to bring you to repentance. He doesnʼt want to leave you there in the mess. He has the answer and He will solve all your issues, if you let Him. All things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). But we must remember that this is not transactional. Itʼs about getting us back into walking with Him. Ultimately, this kind of adversity comes about when weʼre stubborn and choose to go our own way, deciding we know better than God does.
4. Attack of the enemy
The fourth kind of adversity comes from the Enemy. This occurs when youʼre abiding and walking with God. Things are going well for you, but you still live in the kingdom of the world, which is ruled by Satan, and Satan has access lot of self-centered people. The Enemy uses all kinds of people and events to throw grenades into your path and lead you away from walking with God. When you find yourself under attack, the first step is to recognize it. “This wasnʼt me. It wasnʼt a test of faith. It wasnʼt general adversity. This is an attack against me personally.” Once you recognize this, you have to take your position of authority (which you already have!) and cast the devil out. Remember, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. You tell the devil to stop and the devil will actually flee. Humble yourself before God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). You actually have the authority to take care of this kind of adversity, because Christ is in you and strengthens you to stand against it.
5. Persecution
The last form of adversity we may face is persecution. When we follow God and speak His truth, people will come up against us. But God says thatʼs actually a blessed place to be. When they reject the truth, theyʼre actually not rejecting you, theyʼre rejecting Him. You are blessed when this happens, because it means youʼre walking with Him and that youʼre willing to speak truth in the way He has asked you to. This is a key point to delve into a bit, because true persecution will only happen when youʼre speaking truth in the way God has asked you to. A lot of people try to share Godʼs truth in a way that is self-centered, arrogant, prideful, and hurtful. When they face “persecutionˮ because of this, the adversity is really coming because they are attacking the other people, not because the other people are rejecting Godʼs truth. True persecution comes when others come against us because we are walking in Christ and sharing His truth in the way He has asked us to.
There are four remedies to persecution. As you face it, it is important to keep checking in with God and abiding in Him, listening for His direction on how to handle the situations you are facing:
- Dust your feet off. God says, “this is nothing, donʼt worry about it.ˮ
- Stay there. Keep speaking truth. God will protect you. Youʼre going to get opposition, but itʼs not going to harm you, and it is important that you keep representing Christ in this. Stay there and stay with it
- Get out of there, itʼs going to be harmful for you, and thereʼs no longer any purpose for you in this situation. These people have no heart to hear God. Leave and get out of there.
- Martyrdom: God is calling you to give your life for His purpose. He is telling you to stay there; there is going to be a consequence to you, which will result in Him taking you home, but your calling is to stick with it.
So how do I face adversity?
There are a few key things to remember when you face adversity in your life.
- There is adversity and it will happen in your life. Just because youʼve chosen to follow Christ does not mean He will remove adversity from you.
- The key to facing it is to continue abiding in Christ and asking for guidance. He promises that you will experience peace when you are on His path.
- Remember that there are different sources of adversity. This is why, when you see somebody next to you who is struggling, you canʼt just assume they arenʼt walking with God. Itʼs not that simple. When we face adversity in our own lives, the first step is to identify where the adversity is coming from. From there, you can process with God on which steps to take. When He gives you the remedy, are you willing to go?
- God says the body is intended to help one another. Our job is not to say, “Well, Iʼll just accept that youʼre going to suffer for a long time and Iʼll just pray for you and feel sorry for you.ˮ That is not at all helpful. Instead, we ought to say, “Letʼs go see what God has to say about this. Letʼs go find the source of your adversity and then see what God would say about how to overcome it and live out His path.ˮ When we get involved with our community and go to God together, He gives us insight and tells us how to pray effectively, boldly, and with power. We can expect answers in unity with the Holy Spirit and with other believers. When we utilize Christian community in the way that God intended, itʼs beautiful and fruitful.
As you face struggles in life, remember that Christ delivers inexplicable peace; seek Him in all that you do, and He will show you the way of abundant life.
If you would like to delve deeper into the causes of adversity and the paths Christ offers to overcome it, check out our online course, Overcoming Adversity, available at https://abideministries.com/abide-courses/. And, as always, if you have any questions, please donʼt hesitate to contact us any time (https://abideministries.com/contact-us/). Weʼd love to hear from you and process any questions you may have!
