Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: TRIAL (05/10/18)
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TITLE: What's My Problem? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jude Harris
05/17/18 -
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"What's your problem!" Mom's New England wit would spit out the question like an order to stop being so dramatic. She said it so comically that I'd laugh, feeling absurd, checking my emotions. Mom's in heaven now, but I bet she's told God about how melodramatic I can be about trials; God probably agreed. In Romans 8:32 He made it clear He didn't spare Jesus, His own Son, and how He would freely give me anything. So, what IS my problem? What makes me so resistant to trials?
I like to tell my story. I get to be the victim or the survivor, but always the heroine. I'm a great Pharisee, creating villains who look pretty bad against my virtue. Or I'm a martyr suffering some malady or tragedy. I keep the trial alive, telling and retelling all the details, pushing Jesus aside. If I'd let my Savior be the hero, the story would be about Him, not me. I must like the spotlight.
I don't get the point. I see trials interrupting life as if they aren't supposed to happen. James 1:2-4 says they're a good thing. They pressure-wash the dirt so you can see the shine. But I don't like the pressure, so it’s hard to find my shine.
I fight the wrong battle. The frontline is mapped out in Ephesians 6:12. It's in the supernatural, not the natural. But I'm distracted by my enemy's decoys, the humans. The enemy cruises, while I fire at the wrong targets.
I think its all up to me. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Jesus says His grace is enough, that I don't have to struggle. But I'm googling my symptoms, searching for expert advice and spending all my energy on fixing my problem. I'm independent, leaving God out of it. It's exhausting!
I'm proud. The Bible says in Matthew 21:44 that I must be vulnerable. But my ego tries to keep me altogether, so I don't fall apart. My only chance is to fall on Jesus and let Him break down my barriers. I'm just scared of losing control.
I have no vision. In Deuteronomy 20:4 it says the outcome is already set, that God will fight the battle and win. But I'm flexing my flabby muscles, thinking I've got to do my part or I won't win. I don't see the victory dinner or the crown on my head. I'm blinded by my own efforts.
I know I look rather foolish, but perhaps a few of you can relate to my resistance. In Matthew 11:28 God has let me know He's taken care of everything so that I can rest. So then, what's my problem?
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I hate trials, too, for I cry too quickly. You're right: The end has been determined and the Dear One has made it a done deal. We win. Then. And now...that is, if we submit and stop all our striving to be superheros that save the day, and just let the LORD do His job. Yours is a well-written work and well-worth reading...You aced it!