All of us face obstacles in life. For example, fighting three years of the pandemic has not been easy for any of us. Fighting through the loss of a loved one is never easy. The memory of their life lives on with us, but grief can make it difficult to move forward. None of us were promised an easy life. In fact, the Lord said that humanity would experience trials and tribulations.
Peter, the biblical writer, exclaims, “We should in fact expect and welcome trials and suffering.” Peter goes on to say that “after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in the Lord will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Suffering is a part of life in a fallen world. The world we live in is not perfect. It is a broken world, and suffering is a part of that brokenness. Some suffering is the result of our own wrong choices, but some suffering is simply the result of living in a fallen world.
The Apostle Peter offers a rational for suffering as it relates to fighting through the pains associated with grief. Grief is defined as an intense emotional suffering caused by significant personal loss, and it involves feelings of sadness, emotional suffering, and anguish that can reach deep into the heart and soul of a person.
Grief comes in waves of sorrow that recede as the cycles of healing occur. The cycle of emotional suffering does not always happen in the same order, and certain points may occur more than once, but these are all natural elements of the grieving and healing process.
So, seek God for guidance in your life, and he will give you the strength to fight the hardships and pains you are experiencing or have experienced. Remember the words of God spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
It is easy to say that God’s plan and purpose are good and true. But for his plan to work, we must fully believe in it and trust him to guide us. When we commit to God, he will establish our plans in our lives as we fight through trials and tribulations, grief and suffering, and sadness and emotional pain. A good fight is one that you Never Give Up! Never Give Up Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
