Remaining Strong and Rational in Times of Trial
Do the facts about God’s existence and reality change, or is it more about feelings, interpretation, and personal experiences? God’s truth is easier to remain faithful to when we appreciate the difficulties others have suffered, both in current times and throughout history.
Personal Difficulties Do Not Change the Evidence of God’s Existence or Character
I spoke with my occupational therapist this week regarding an accident I had last year. Bringing her into my office, she saw my academic certificates on the wall and asked me if I was a minister and if I still had my faith after all I had been through. I believe this was to gain some psychological insight for her assessment. In my response to her question, I explained that I had not created my faith in God as a young teenager for the purpose of personal security. I came to my faith through decisions based on reason, and through continued research, experience, investment and hardship. I kept my faith because the logic of the equation remained the same.
The truth is that I have seen and experienced significant pain in and from the church at times over the years. My disabilities (e.g. epilepsy and migraines) have frequently presented the same professional and social barriers and issues I find in society. However, while this is painful, it is entirely irrelevant when discerning the existence – or non-existence – of God and the truth of Christianity.
Will the Cause Lead to a Positive or Negative Effect?
Many people leave the faith when times are challenging or restrictive. It is essential to ask, however, whether our choices are wise. Despite the disturbingly common opinion, we as individuals are not the centre of the world. Looking at the principle of causation (cause and effect), the effect of a negative or difficult cause can either result in a negative or positive (or potentially neutral) effect. For instance,
Jack, an elder at the church, takes a cheap dig at Jason’s lack of ability to secure a decent salary, stating that he is 30 and is expecting his second kid. Maybe, one day he will be able to join the “real men” in the church! (cause)
This dig hurts and angers Jason, so he says, “I have had enough, this whole God thing’s a sham, and I won’t have my family have anything to do with it.” He leaves the church and takes his family with him (negative effect option)
The hurt and anger that Jason feels is converted into an awareness of the folly and misconduct of Jack as an elder (cf. 1 Tim. 3:1-13). While the temptation is to insult Jack publicly, he shows self-control, forgives Jack, and then considers how we can and should be looking to change some of the toxic environment starting to develop in his congregation. (positive effect option through negative cause)
Obviously, we need to see the positive effect option as the preferable choice. Firstly, its alignment with Christian principles is favourable to the negative option. Secondly, it is more constructive for Jason’s family, church, and himself. And thirdly, it provides closure of the event and potentially a more productive movement as there is the strength to acknowledge the developing environment.
Sometimes There Is Not the Strength, Discipline or Wisdom
However, what if we don’t have the strength or will to be the bigger person? What if we decide to leave the faith (an effect with an attached cause) and accept any and all effects that may follow? Curious, I looked up a post on Christian leaders who had left the faith. John 15 Rocks listed the following former pastors who left their faith:
2021, Paul Maxwell “I’m no longer Christian.”
2020, Jon Steingard “I no longer believe in God.”
2019, Joshua Harris “I am not a Christian.”
2019, Dave Gass “I am walking away from the faith.”
2019, Marty Sampson “Christianity is just another religion.”
The pastors listed who left their faith had a variety of reasons why, and they all seemed to stem entirely from personal life circumstances, struggles, actions, and feelings, rather than logic. Their life challenges caused doubt, and as their faiths struggled, they abandoned their faith in Christ. Rather than embracing the challenge and remaining faithful to God despite a lack of understanding (as was taught in Job and illustrated by many other biblical characters, e.g. Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah, Elijah, Paul, etc.), the weak and unfortunate choice of abandoning the Christian faith, and creating one’s own was made. As Weathers valuably commented,
… doubting is not the same thing as defecting or abandoning your faith. When Maxwell or Hillsong’s Marty Sampson or Joshua Harris or TikTok star Abraham Piper, and so many others, announce their doubt has led to their departure, they imply that leaving Christianity is the only option. It’s not.
The Bible teaches that doubt is the flip side of faith. It should not be embraced, but occasionally can be expected. It’s how we deal with it that matters.
Doubting God or the Bible can lead to sin (Gen. 3:1-5, Luke 1:18-20), and it can make us vulnerable to failing in our faith, crashing in our confidence, or struggling in our spirit (James 1:6), but it can also launch us into renewed strength and new opportunities to trust Christ and to see God work in our lives (Ps. 77:11, John 20:25-28).
So, if you find yourself doubting and maybe struggling with your faith in troubling times, or you are wrestling with the hard truths of the Bible, rather than turn away from the Lord, turn toward Him. And rather than refashion the faith into your own image, join the chorus of Christians who have come to the Lord with their doubts held in open hands and said without hesitation, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
He does. And He always will.
A Higher Way, or the Highway(?)
My personal experience has been that God’s timing and plans are not always the same as our own, even when we are working as hard as we can to align ourselves with His will and ways. Difficulties arise (physical, emotional, mental, social, relational, financial, and spiritual) that do not align with our plans, and it would have felt helpful to know about them ahead of time to plan differently. However, we are not the ones in control of this world, and it is not our world but His. It is important to remember the words of Isaiah in 55:8-9, which state:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (ESV)
The two prior verses are also helpful to keep in mind. They state:
6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
All too often, we can get caught up in the world. We make our decisions to build success and gain in the ways we learn from those around us. It is often a busy life, with little time spent in solitude and quiet reflection. For a pastor, as for many other leaders, we are often considered spiritual and godly; however, goals and plans are constantly being made, revised and reviewed, with the expectation of results pressing. The demand of these pressures can lead to a neglect of our spiritual health and relationship with God, resulting in unpreparedness. This means we may not always truly see and accept God’s unfolding plans, as they may disagree with our current and unprepared reasoning and vision.
The story of Job provides a fantastic illustration of this point. Job’s wife is resentful (cf. 2:9-10), Job asks what he did to deserve this, and his friends try to provide mild consolation while convincing him of his wrongdoing before Elihu adds his two cents. At the end of the book, Yahweh conveys a challenge to Job, and during the challenge, Job responds, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.” (Job 40:4-5, ESV)
The Value of Humility for Gaining Wisdom, Perspective and Acceptance
Humility is critical for all. Accepting what difficulties are handed to us is made far simpler if we have the humility and trust to accept what God has allowed to happen. Pray for guidance, strength, courage, enlightenment, hope and whatever else you need. While Yahweh is a loving God, this is a fallen world, and things are neither simple nor built around us as individuals. The focal point of this life is the next, and this is His world, not ours. All too often, this is one of our most significant difficulties in understanding. We think that what we have accrued and achieved in this life and world is our opportunity to succeed when true success is accomplished through surrendering to God. It is pursuing His will. We must understand that whatever circumstances eventuate, the blood of Christ redeems those who belong to Him. The ones who win are those whose devotion is sincere; those who search for His will and ways, and remain faithful and with hope when times are trying.
The book of Ecclesiastes does a great job of showing that many things only sometimes make sense. 9:11-18 states,
11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. 12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.
13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. 16 So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.
17 Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person
than the shouts of a foolish king.
18 Better to have wisdom than weapons of war,
but one sinner can destroy much that is good. (NLT)
Does this interpretation of life sound accurate? Does it sound fair? Does the team who won the minor premiership always win the playoffs? Does the best or wisest political candidate for president always get elected?
At the end of Ecclesiastes, the author states in a depressive tone,
“Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (12:6, NLT).
He states this before acknowledging in a summary statement in 12:8 that everything is meaningless, a comment that mirrors his beginning one in 1:2. The truth is that our world is not something that humanity can or ever will ‘master’. The “final conclusion” given by the author is wise: “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (12:13-14, NLT).
This is not to say we must live in constant fear and depressing sadness. There is order in the chaos: goodness, confidence, happiness, beauty, genius, inspiration and potential. We must remain alert and keep our hearts fully devoted to God. This means regular prayer, reflecting and thinking about your heart and actions, and caring for others because you sincerely care and enjoy being part of God’s family. Thinking of the parable of the four soils (cf. Matt. 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-25; Luke 8:4-18), it means taking care of the metaphoric garden of your heart. Ensure the right things grow there and add the right supplements to assist the growth. Also, if we give ourselves to God and pursue what is of value to Him, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” It is not about counting all our achievements and gains but using them responsibly with good faith and heart. Let God grow the potential and assets he gave to and created in you!
In Summary…
The truth is that life is not an easy ride. There are many unique difficulties and challenges that each of us faces. Some of these will undoubtedly challenge us in our faith, our understanding of God, and the reality of our world. Our perception or understanding of Him may be questioned. Remember, however, that the way things unfold, and the unchristian behaviour of others, do not change God’s existence, reality, character, or importance. We are the fragile and finite beings, and we are the ones who need to grow and develop, not God. As such, I encourage you to show strength in difficult times and not leave the faith. Look for strength and inspiration, and appreciate the many blessings you have, those that are present, those of the past, and those yet to come. Grow in your discernment skills, and take the time to understand the true you, the true God, and the genuine relationship that exists and continues to grow as more is invested. How great it is that we can be such great and valuable assets to Him, even though we may sometimes feel so worthless, unvalued and insecure.
References
Pastors Who Lost Faith in Jesus. (2022, November 14). John 15 Rocks. https://www.john15.rocks/christian-pastors-who-lost-faith-in-jesus-stopped-believing-committed-suicide/
Weathers, B. (2021, April 19). Paul C. Maxwell, why some people abandon Christianity, and why doubting is not the same thing as departing. Bob Weathers – Clear Truth. Confident Faith https://www.bobweathers.net/paul-c-maxwell-abandoning-christianity-and-why-doubting-is-not-the-same-thing-as-defecting/
