In Conclusion

I expect by now some readers will be saying, "But you have not tried to solve the problem!" The idea of doing things that will not solve the problem seems a waste of time to many. What most people immediately desire is a "quick fix" to the dilemma. How can we remove the problem so it no longer interferes with our life? That is the question many ask. What we have suggested so far in this book, does nothing to eliminate the undesirable thing that has spoiled our happiness. Why not focus attention on getting rid of the undesirable thing rather than wasting time on such matters?

The answer to such questions comes in the form of a question from God. He comes to Cain when Cain is angry and depressed about his rejected sacrifice and says to the man, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6.

The way to resolve a problem is not to remove it, but to do what is right in spite of the difficulty. God's answer to Cain's problem is to encourage him to pursue the path of obedience when he does not want to do that. God calls him to get on with life in spite of the difficulty and if he does, then he will discover contentment. However, if he does not do what is right, even when he does not want to do the right thing, then he will be in a far worse state. Doing what is right may not take away the suffering, but it will prevent a far worse situation from occurring. How careful we need to be that we follow the emergency procedures described in this book if we hope to escape a far worse situation.

But, someone objects, "Why not pray that the difficulty be taken away?" This is a very practical consideration and we have precedent in Scripture for such prayers, we hear both the apostle Paul and our Lord praying that a difficulty in front of them be removed.

In the case of the apostle Paul, the problem is not defined, it's simply called a "thorn in the flesh". We are not given specifics on what it was Paul was suffering and that is so anyone with a significant physical difficulty can identify with the apostle. The apostle made three special prayer times when he petitioned the Lord to remove the problem. After the third prayer time when the problem did not go away, the apostle heard the voice of God telling him that the problem was staying and that grace would be given to endure the difficulty.

The situation with our Lord was similar in that He too prayed three times that a difficulty, in this case the cross, would be removed. It is interesting to note that our Lord's prayer changed as He prayed through the situation. You will note in Matt. 26:39 there is a request that the cup pass and also a word of submission. In Matt. 26:42, as He prayed the second time, the prayer changes to, "O my Father, if this cannot pass away, except I drink it, thy will be done." So we see a shift in His focus as He prays the second time. In the third prayer Matt. 26:44, He uses the same words as in the second prayer. So the prayer changed the Lord, not the situation. He knew He had to obey and accept the cup that was passed to Him. So it is with us. As we pray over the problem, we may find that it is ourselves that change, not the difficulty. This may not be what we want, but the Lord knows best. We must leave to Him whether to remove the source of pain, or give us grace to endure.

So, if we pray for relief from the suffering, we are in good company! Remember too, that if we pray and the problem remains, we are getting a message from the Lord to let us know His grace is sufficient, that we will be equipped to endure the problem.

However, that is the "rub" to quote Shakespeare. In our modern age, we are pressed into the mindset that technology can solve every problem for us. We have come to think that we are the masters of reality. We believe that we can adjust reality to our liking. Advertising appeals to our desire to have things and assures us that we can afford the merchandise the ad displays. Convenient payment plans are advocated that will fit our budget and allow us to have the desired thing immediately. This is the age of instant gratification.

Christians take this worldly mindset into their spiritual thinking and it does not work. The Lord warned us that in the world we would have tribulation. (John 16:1-3, 20, 22, 33, etc.) Paul tells us that we are appointed to such suffering. (1 Thess. 3:1-5) Becoming a Christian does not guarantee that our personal millennium begins immediately. In fact the Bible everywhere warns us of various tribulations that we must endure. We are to recognize that if our Lord suffered, so shall we. There is no escaping the suffering, but there are many blessed promises made by God to be with us in the midst of suffering and to take us safely through the problems of life until we see Him face to face.

Our problem is, as one theologian put it, "We would rather be ruined than changed." We would rather have an easy life than a life with problems that change us into the image of Christ. It is more desirable to have smooth sailing where we know little of God's grace, than rough seas where the goodness of the Lord is seen everywhere. The mentality of our present age has permeated our view of life so completely that we cannot see the benefits that come from adversity.

It is not the adversity we seek, but the blessings that accrue from adversity. If suffering is the price we must pay to have the blessing, we will learn to accept the unwanted difficulties in order to have the experience of God's abundant grace in our lives. We shall learn that the presence of the Lord is worth whatever price we must pay. It is not the absence of problems, but the felt presence of the resurrected Christ that will fill us with joy and contentment.

I close with a verse from Deuteronomy 10:12, "What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands."

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