Comparing Hardships is a Losing Game
East Coast tour, different kinds of hardship, and following Jesus in the waiting.
“Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful. There is always more to tell than can be told.”
― Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow
Happy fall, friends. I’m writing from the Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. My son, Ethan, and I are on the second leg of our East Coast tour visiting friends and family. We traveled from Kansas to Louisville a little over a week ago, and spent our first full day at a local hospital. Anna, my oldest, had a surprise appendectomy.
Several of my family members had arranged to be in Louisville for my grandfather’s 98th birthday, so while the surgery caught us off guard, God truly orchestrated the timing. My other daughter, Natalie, got into town in time to pick up Ethan from my mother-in-law’s and come see Anna before her operation.
Natalie and I got to be with Anna post-op. We may or may not have some funny stories to tell. Praise God, Anna is home, healing, and being well taken care of.
Nothing but trouble
Jesus was the first to tell His disciples, “You will have trouble in this world.” Paul and Barnabas emphasized His message to the early Christians: “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, CSB). Then Peter retweeted it years later in his first letter.
Expect adversity. Got it.
How do we embrace this message in our own lives? Hardships in Bible times look different than what we face today. I don’t know anyone literally being kicked out of town or stoned for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, though there were certainly many times in the early church — even now in other parts of the world — where killing Christians was believed to be “offering service to God.”1
Though most of us live in less physically perilous circumstances, trusting the Lord through trials and waiting on Him proves one faithful and brings God glory.
Classifying hardship
Synonymous words for hardships include: tribulations, troubles, afflictions, persecutions, sufferings. I’ve been comfortable using a few of those to describe my trials, but persecution and tribulation are not among them. It’s easy to minimize personal experiences when some folks are being physically persecuted for preaching the gospel.
But what if we look beyond the literal, physical world to consider what — or more accurately — who believers are up against? Jesus asked the Father not take us out of the world but to protect us from the evil one.2 Paul wrote that we’re not fighting against physical enemies, but against powerful spirits of evil in the unseen world, a war waged in the spirit realm that directly impacts us.3
History displays Christians who have lost their lives for spreading the gospel, and those who suffered various maladies or lost everything for no apparent reason. Job worshiped Yahweh and lived with perfect integrity. He didn’t lose all he had because the locals were mad about his devotion to the one true God, nor was he being punished. Yet his story of faithfulness greatly influenced God’s people. Both Ezekiel and James4 mention Job’s story as evidence of righteousness and endurance. The same is true of the man born blind in John 9 — purely so the works of God could be shown in him.
Be careful little ears what you hear
If you grew up hearing stories about heroes of the faith or heard church leaders touting overseas missionary work in ways that belittled other Christian service, you might be familiar with some unhelpful narratives. The ones that say, “You haven’t done…” “You aren’t like…” and “You could never…”
What if those voices are just diversion tactics to confuse and drain the joy out of life? What does God’s voice say? Follow Me. Hear My voice. Listen to Me. When the accusatory voices speak up, consider the possibility that maybe “you haven’t done…” but you absolutely could one day. Perhaps the best response to “you aren’t like…” is that you are exactly who God created you to be. And maybe “you could never…” because you weren’t meant to. But you can pursue anything God calls you to because He is faithful. He will do it in and through you.5
Be alert for those negative whispers. One of the enemy’s favorite methods of distraction is making good things look like ultimate things. We can certainly gain wise instruction by listening to sermons, reading gospel centered books, observing godly people’s lives, and more.6 Still, no human experience can be wholly prescriptive because we are all unique.
After Jesus told Peter what he would be doing for the kingdom of God, Peter was curious what John, “the disciple Jesus loved,” would be doing. John was a godly man, yet Jesus instructed Peter to pattern his life after Him, not John.
When Peter saw [John], he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.”
John 21:21-22
Slow but steady progress
On the road last week, a dark cloud dropped heavy rain on us for about a mile. Visibility decreased and traffic slowed to a crawl. I glanced over at Ethan and said, “This makes me think of the Christian life. We can see the blue skies and sunshine up ahead, but we’re stuck in this downpour. We don’t wanna slow down; we wanna get to where we’re going. But the storm has purpose. Nothing can grow without water, and slowing down helps us see beauty we may have missed. Eventually, we’ll make it through to the sunny skies.”
We all need endurance to continue, and endurance comes through the testing of our faith.7 The Lord promises a tremendous reward if we trust in Him. And “if it seems slow (POV: it does seem slow), wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”8
Extra extra
Offerings of music, literature, food, and a joyful moment.
The tunes
This playlist is a collaboration with my friend, Rebecca. Listen in the hard places.
The menu
Though it hasn’t quite cooled off yet, I’m already compiling a mental list of all the soups I want to make when we get back home. The first one will be this Creamy Chicken and Potato Chowder from The Defined Dish. I double the recipe and use a whole can of Thai Kitchen coconut milk. I’ve made it with and without mushrooms and prefer it without. Bacon and chives/green onions are yummy topping but not necessary if you don’t have them on hand. Wegmans rosemary sourdough bread is an excellent side, but sadly their stores don’t grace the Midwest.
The read
“Smug religious people wanted to throw Jesus off a cliff. People with disabilities and special needs, little children, abused and discarded women, as well as sexually damaged people, crooks, charlatans, prodigals and addicts, couldn’t get enough of Jesus.”
Read the whole article here:
The moment
I end up at this coffee shop every time I’m in Louisville. I met up with a dear friend to share a warm drink, our dislike of catalpa trees (pictured — what are those weird bean things anyway??), envy the dexterity of a squirrel doing parkour on the building next door, and encourage each other in the faith. The only downside was having to leave.
Be well, friends.
John 16:2
John 17:15
Ephesians 6:12
James 5:10-11
1 Thessalonians 5:24
1 Corinthians 11:1
James 1:3
Habakkuk 2:3b, ESV
1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you”—me: “WHAT is happening !?! Oh wait, you mentioned not to be surprised” 🫠