April 9, 2016 Accepting Hardship As A Pathway To Peace
God doesn’t lie. God doesn’t sugar coat the truth. Fortunately for us, God tells the truth and helps us to get ready for what we will face.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)
All of our problems don’t disappear simply because we decide to live with God in recovery. In fact, for a while it may seem like we have more problems and hardships than we know what to do with. In addiction we ran from problems, we covered up the discomfort of problems with destructive substances and habits. We blamed others for our troubles and did whatever we could to avoid seeing and dealing with hardship. Doing the right thing often isn’t convenient. That’s why we lied, cheated, and stole. We put a vision in our minds of hardship and overwhelming pain and decided we did not want to deal with it at any cost.
Jesus offers us a new and better way when we choose to surrender our will and our lives to Him. As we bravely face painful memories, financial difficulties, challenging obsessions, and irritating people, God promises us peace. How? Jesus’ response is, “in me.” What does He mean? Jesus faced hardship in his life on earth and evil and sin brought Him to death on the cross. However, the good news is that Jesus rose again. His resurrection changes everything for us and how we can live in a broken world and courageously face painful challenges.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (1 John 4:4, Philippians 4:6-7 NIV) God’s unfailing love throughout our recovery is powerful enough to sustain us and help us overcome evil. The scriptures promise that He will help us stand firm on God’s pathway to peace as we accept life’s hardships and continue living settled and secure in troubled times.
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