Problems of life II
"...I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me" (NIV) Psalms 120:1
Challenges in life are like students’ examinations which always bring stress. But until you pass the exam, you cannot be promoted to a higher level. The examination can take many forms like writing, oral and practical assessments so are the diversities of challenges of life.
Sometimes, God uses difficulties to help us redefine or rediscover our priorities. We all have priorities. In some situations, we make wrong priorities but other times too we get it right and in some, we need to redefine them. Christians with the right priorities allow themselves to be drifted away from them. By putting our priorities in the world; we’ve replaced worship with entertainment, giving with buying, and family time with the television and social media, just to mention a few. By abandoning our God-given priorities we set ourselves up against God and we have to learn hard lessons.
God uses stress to draw us to Himself. The people of Israel learnt that lesson, “But in their distress, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them” (2 Chronicles 15:4). It was in Jonah’s darkest hour, in the most stressful circumstances that he said this: “In my distress, I called to the Lord, and he answered me” (Jonah 2:2). Another example is found in the Psalms: "In my distress, I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears" (Psalms 18:6).
God uses difficulties to discipline us. God brings trials not to get back at us for doing wrong, but to deepen our dependence on Him in order to do right. Though the stressful experience may seem excruciating at the time, it is ultimately all for good. God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:10-11).
God uses stress to strengthen our faith. 1 Peter 1:7 tells us: “These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
In the crucible of stress, as we draw on our resources in Christ, He gives us faith and strength to crack through and rise above the challenges of life. When our lives are comfortable and stress-free, too often we withdraw from the Lord into our own worlds of spiritual independence and isolation. Smug and self-satisfied, we forget what life is really all about. But as the thirsty seek water, those under stress often seek God. Many non-believers have come to Christ and many believers have returned to Him in times of stress. Amen
Some contents of this article came from
[1] http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-god-uses-stress-for-our-good-and-his-glory.html