March 11, 2002

TROUBLES, TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

Maybe 90% of the average person's life is predictable, monotonous and humdrum. This part of our experience is spent in working, or studying, or doing household chores and errands, or sleeping. Most of these functions can theoretically be done by technological devices, so during 90% of our life, our personal existence is irrelevant and dispensable.

The other 10% is about equally divided between joy and sorrow. There are moments of elation, passion, pleasure and fulfilment. We look forward to these. But there are also many troubles, trials and tribulations we have to slog through to get to those uplifting experiences.

It's the same for believers as for unbelievers. We don't seem to have any less suffering than they do, and though our joy moments may be deeper and more significant, they probably don't fill any larger percentage of our time than would be true for an unbeliever.

Many of our most gnawing spiritual questions revolve around this issue. Why is it that we as Christians have to deal with troubles, trials and tribulations, when Jesus gave himself to deliver us from all these?

Some Christians believe that we can experience his complete deliverance if we have enough faith, but this point of view seems plausible only by covering up the truth with happy-face slogans and affirmations. Those who believe it most enthusiastically appear to go through as many negative experiences as others, and they all ultimately die.

Early in my pastoral ministry, I thought I had come upon an interpretation that made sense. Yes, God allows his children to go through troubles, trials and tribulations, but he rations them out a bit at a time. As a believer matures, God permits exposure to harder and harder trials. This provides a test of the person's growing spiritual strength and results in the building up of spiritual muscle. But God limits the test to what the person is ready to handle, based on the promise found in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength . . . ."

Over the years I've believed less and less in that explanation. First, I don't like the idea that the more I mature the more I will suffer. It makes me want to say, "Lord, don't let me grow up, because then I'll have more trials."

Second, and more important, I just haven't seen this to be a fact as I've watched people's lives. Some seasoned believers live comparatively comfortable lives, with few problems and hardly any suffering. On the other hand, some brand-new believers are hit with awful piles of problems right away.

A little over a year ago, all of us at ABC rejoiced at the dramatic conversion of Tony Bennett. He accepted the Lord, was baptized, took the Alpha course, and week by week shared his discoveries as a young Christian.

Then out of nowhere he was hit with a severe stroke. He was on the brink of death for a few days, and then began his laborious recovery. He had to struggle to regain speech and the full use of his limbs. After a long period out of work, he was able to go back to his old job.

Why did that happen to a new believer and not to a veteran in the faith who was better prepared to handle it? I have no clue as to how and why the Lord allows troubles, trials and tribulations to be passed out. But Tony's case does demonstrate this: the issue is not how well-prepared the believer is, but how well-prepared God is. The ability to walk through a serious struggle successfully is not a testimony to the believer's faith, but to God's faithfulness.

Actually, I had not been reading 1 Corinthians 10:13 carefully enough. Paul says quite clearly that troubles, trials and tribulations are "common to everyone"—seasoned believers, new believers, unbelievers. And he emphasizes that the answer is always the same: "God is faithful." The strength, or maturity, or faith of the suffering person is never the determining factor.

And that's good news, because I've found that when I'm confronted with a serious trial, I feel weak, my faith is shaken, I'm just a spiritual baby depending on my heavenly Father.

–Pastor George Van Alstine