"Difficulties"

They sat quietly looking down. I could see the sadness on their face and you could hear it in their voice. Their eyes spoke of lostness. Finally the words came out, "I feel so empty inside. Every thing seems to cave in on me. What little life I have, my job and family take it away. If that weren't enough, our finances are over-whelming. I have no joy!"

It is heart-breaking to see people in Christ Jesus in such despair. Why are those in Christ this empty? There is an answer and that answer is found in Jesus. Let me explain. Some simply do not believe in the saving power, the renewing power of Christ. They want to but they allow the things of life to affect them more than Christ. Our focus is our hurts, our disappointments and difficulties rather than Christ. I know people hurt, we have all been there. But the difference between staying buried under the pile of hurt and over-coming is found in Christ Jesus. The longer one focuses on the hurts and disappointments, faith is lost little by little until it becomes almost impossible to believe.

Read carefully the book of Philippians. Paul wrote this letter while sitting in a prison cell, facing a life and death situation. Why was he there? He sure wasn't a criminal! He had committed no acts that deserve prison. His crime? He followed Jesus! Can you imagine what he must have felt, going through all he did just for serving Jesus? I am afraid many of us would have quit, complaining how unfair life is. What did Paul say? "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4) The term "rejoice" is an imperative present active verb. That's a command. That's a choice! No one can keep you from rejoicing in the Lord. You choose to do that provided you have your eyes and heart fixed on Jesus. To believe He died my death and transferred me to His kingdom (Col. 1:13) means God is completely 100% for us. Our circumstances do not alter or change God's intentions. Our faith in our Lord, our trust in Him is what will take us beyond our circumstances. We see our eternal destiny! Faith reaches to God and Christ. Paul saw the opportunity to share in the grace of God and the gospel spreading because of His circumstances (Phil. 1:12-18)

When every thing appears to be caving in on you, especially when things you have no control over, that's when we need to look at the marvelous grace of God. (I must say we don't understand grace and it's power. God told Paul it was all he needed in II Cor. 12:9.) In our difficulties is where the power and grace of God become greater. Difficulties do not change the spiritual blessings we have in Jesus but make them come into clearer focus if we fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1-3). In Philippians and Paul's difficulties, his attention was completely fixed on Jesus (Phil. 1:18). It took Paul toward God's resources (Phil. 1:19-20). He was committed to exalting Christ, his Lord!

Sometimes we don't' get the best situations in life and start complaining. That takes your attention away from the Lord, His promises and grace and will take you down. It will rob you of life, joy and grace and end up with nothing but misery. Paul saw it was better to be with Christ but at this time, he didn't get the better. What did he do? Made progress anyway (Phil. 1:24-26)! Paul saw himself as no longer living for himself but for Jesus who died for him (Gal. 2:20).

When a crisis comes in our lives, what do you expect? Christ and His spiritually blessings working with God's grace or dejection and misery? Who do you magnify? Christ, looking to Him for an opportunity to grow or your troubles? To answer those questions reveal every thing about our faith.