Man’s Reasoning
We live, we die, yet we live again, or not. Man in his own reasoning has determined once you leave this body your life is over. The Christian has learned you leave this body and your life has just begun. Man’s outlook and thought process will remain in this broken state unless healing is applied by the Holy Spirit.
Overcoming this destructive thought process requires the firm hand of God lay hold of the heart and mind. Or else, we never make peace with this finite body, or understand the opportunity of a glorified eternal existence. Meshing tribulations with rejoicing requires the heart to realize God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways.
The Unredeemed Man’s Tribulation
Due to man’s fallen condition we expect rain shall fall on the just and unjust. Therefore, we expect the redeemed and unredeemed to experience tribulations. Men without Christ live this without understanding how pain and peace can coexist within the heart. Facing tribulations without God’s hope brings a devastating heaviness an unquenchable thirst with a feeling of unexplainable emptiness.
Thus tribulations carry the unredeemed man to the very depths of what the unregenerate heart is without Christ; hopelessness. The darkness and fear that resides within becomes ever present alas; inescapable. No life line, no sliver of light, no hope to grasp. Flailing within while searching without. Reaching yet never grasping is the very existence of man without God.
The Redeemed Man’s Tribulation
The Christians heaviness although experienced within the emotions of man (i.e. tears, hurt, pain, etc.) will not drag us into the underbelly of the heart as the unredeemed. While in the midst of despair we find ourselves drawing on the Holy Spirit’s strength and leaning into God. There we find light and hope amidst darkness.
Focusing on God’s grace, the hurts and pains we experience are beneficial to the purifying of our faith. Trials and tribulations have not the depth, control, or power against the redeemed. The hurt and pain exerted by life’s downward forces are accompanied by a very present help in our time of trouble. The raging winds and blowing rains of our emotions will not persuade the Christian to lose hope.
Embracing Our Emotions in Light of Christ
Within the redeemed heart the light of Christ shines into unlit crevices. Thus, providing hope in hopelessness while flushing out fear and doubt as unwelcomed guest. Christian’s must remember God’s way is paradox to man’s reasoning. To Christian’s, tribulations are only one part of what we experience. Joy and grace provided by the Holy Spirit in the midst of the tribulation is the other.
When tribulations attack, we do not run from the heaviness of the situation. We don’t pretend emotional hurt doesn’t exist. This approach would be madness knowing God created us as emotional beings. On the contrary, our experience through emotions will drive us to remember and experience more fully the grace of God and the pain of the cross that was endured for our sake.
Embracing the love Christ has for us in the midst of difficulties ensures we are driven to our knees seeking a closer walk with Christ. Utilizing tribulations that abound in life for the glory of God will only work in the purifying of our faith. Driving us to be more like Christ while breaking our shell allowing the light to stream in through the cracks.
Scripture 1 Peter 1:5-9
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.