The Adversity Principle, Part 3
Let's bring the adversity principle closer to home. How does it apply to you and me? Could it be that our heavenly Father permits His children to struggle in order to keep us strong? I firmly believe that to be true. That is precisely what James told the Jewish-Christians in the first century: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2-3). Paul echoed that theme in his letter to the Romans: "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4).
Jesus said it even more plainly, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). He also said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (v. 25). Those words leave little room for doubt. Jesus wants us to be committed and disciplined and tough. He also warned about the dangers of the soft life. This, I believe, is what he meant when He said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:25). He did not mean that God sets up a different—and more difficult—standard by which wealthy people are judged. Rather, He was acknowledging that affluence can make us dependent on ease and comfort. As such, it is highly seductive. A person who grows accustomed to life's good things may not be drawn naturally to the sacrificial way of the Cross. Like the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus, a wealthy person may find it more difficult to follow this Master who calls us to make the supreme sacrifice.
Not only is affluence dangerous, but so is the adulation of our fellow men. If you want to know what a person is made of, grant him a high degree of social status and admiration. His hidden character will soon be apparent for all to see. Solomon wrote, "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives" (Proverbs 27:21).
From these Scriptures and many others, it should be obvious that the Christian life was never intended to be a stroll through a rose garden. That idyllic existence ended when Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden. Since then, life has been a challenge for us all. I'll bet you already knew that.
So life is a challenge. It was obviously designed to be that way. Look at how Jesus related to His disciples throughout His ministry on earth. He could hardly be accused of pampering these rugged men. Picture them in a small boat late one evening. You know the story. Jesus went to sleep on a cushion, and while He slept a "furious squall" came up. Remember that several of the disciples were professional fishermen and they knew very well what a storm can do to a small craft and its occupants. They were frightened—as you or I would have been. But there was the Master, unconcerned and uninvolved, sound asleep near the stern. Waves were crashing over the bow and threatening to sink the boat. The panic-stricken men could stand it no longer. They awakened Jesus and said, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Before quieting the storm, He said to his disciples, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" (Matthew 8:23-26).
If I didn't know better, my sympathies would be with the disciples in this instance. Who could blame them for quaking in the path of the storm? There was no Coast Guard or helicopter service to pluck them out of the churning sea. If they ever fell overboard in this "furious squall" it would be curtains. Still, Jesus was disappointed by their panic. Why? Because fear and faith do not ride in the same boat. And because He wanted them to trust Him even when facing death. They would need that confidence in a few months!
Let's revisit Jesus and the disciples in yet another episode on the sea. According to Mark (6:45-50), He had instructed them to get in their boat and go on ahead of him to the city of Bethsaida. Then He went to a nearby mountainside to pray. Apparently, Jesus could see the entire lake from where He sat, and He observed that His disciples were "straining at the oars, because the wind was against them." The biblical account tells us, "About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake" (v. 48). From the early evening to the fourth watch is a seven-hour passage of time. For seven hours, Jesus watched the disciples do battle with a severe headwind before He came to assist them. Yet they were in His vision and under His care throughout the night. Obviously, He permitted them to experience their need before coming to their rescue.
Sometimes He also lets you and me "struggle with the oars" until we recognize our dependence on Him. In so doing, He gives our faith an opportunity to grow and mature. But one thing is certain: We are ever in His vision. When His purposes are fulfilled and the time is right, He will calm the stormy sea and lead us to safety on the distant shore.
There are Christian writers and speakers who promote the expectation of ease in this Christian walk. They would have us believe that the followers of Jesus do not experience the trials and frustrations that pagans go through. Some of them appear so anxious to tell us what we want to hear that they distort the truths expressed in the Word. They would have us believe that the Lord rushes into action the instant we face a hardship, eliminating every discomfort or need. Well, sometimes He does just that. At other times, He doesn't. Either way, He is there and has our lives in perfect control.
Let's look at another example of Jesus' relationship with his not-so-tough disciples. It occurred on the night before He was to be crucified. Peter, James, and John were with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. As the night wore on, Jesus became overwhelmed with sorrow for what He was facing. He asked the three men to stay behind and keep watch while He went by Himself to pray. Three times during that hour, He came back and found them asleep because "their eyes were heavy" (Matthew 26:43). As before, He expressed displeasure in their weakness.
We must remember that these men had also been under considerable stress in recent days. They understood they might be executed for their proximity to Jesus. That kind of danger causes fatigue—especially after being awake until the early morning hours. It was reasonable that the disciples would find it difficult to sit staring out into the night without lapsing into slumber. Yet Jesus expected them to stay awake, saying, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Matthew 26:41). There it is again. Jesus was urging His disciples to toughen up—to strive for greater control over their impulses. Why? Because weak flesh is more vulnerable to temptation.
Throughout Scripture we see this consistent pattern. The Lord wants His people to be strong. Read again the story of the children of Israel wandering around in the wilderness—lost, thirsty, dirty, and homeless. They became tired of eating the same monotonous food—manna—and longed for the familiar surroundings of Egypt. I might well have complained about every one of those frustrations if placed in a similar situation. But note what is written in Numbers 11:1.
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them, his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
If that seems harsh, we must remember that God had chosen these people as His own, and He was doing a mighty work in their lives. He had rescued them from 400 years of Egyptian bondage. He even rolled back the Red Sea to facilitate their escape. He had cared for their every need, yet all they could do was grumble and complain. Scripture tells us God is long-suffering and slow to wrath—but He finally heard enough from this tribe of bellyachers.
Does that mean, as it would seem, that we should not feel free to express our deepest longings and frustrations to the Lord? Is He so demanding and detached that we must hide our fears from Him or try to be something we're not? Should we grin and bear it when every cell of our bodies aches in sorrow? Must we mimic ducks that sit quietly on a lake but are paddling like crazy below the surface? No! At least 100 Scriptures will refute that uncaring image of God. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). We are told that He "knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14). He also understands that some of us are strong and confident by temperament. Others are naturally more anxious. That should come as no surprise to the One who made us the way we are.
I draw comfort, too, from God's compassion to David when he poured out his fears and frustrations. We have no record of the Lord's displeasure when David expressed his many sorrows and fears. What, then, was the difference between these acceptable "complaints" and those of the children of Israel many years before? The answer is seen in the nature of David's lamentations. They were expressed within a context of faith and dependence on God. Even when he was depressed, it is clear that he knew who his Lord was and where his allegiance rested. But the children of Israel were faithless and defiant in their grumbling. Once again, we see that everything in Scripture seems to reverberate to that vital little word, faith.
Let's summarize: We now know that faith must be tough, but why? Is there a logical reason why the Lord asks us to strengthen our resolve and meet our difficulties head-on? I believe it is because of the close interrelationship between mind, body, and spirit mentioned earlier. We cannot be spiritually stable and emotionally unstable at the same time. We are in a spiritual war with a deadly foe tracking us every hour of the day. We need to be in the best shape possible to cope with the darts and arrows he hurls our way. Flabby, overindulged, pampered Christians just don't have the stamina to fight this battle. Thus, the Lord puts us on a spiritual treadmill every now and then to keep us in good fighting condition.
It's the "adversity principle," and all of us are affected by it one way or the other.
Read The Adversity Principle, Part 1
Read The Adversity Principle, Part 2
From Dr. Dobson's book When God Doesn’t Make Sense.