Compromise No. 1

Compromise No. 1:  Letting Circumstances Define God Vs. God Defining Circumstances

Allow enough time to pass and circumstances will inevitably become less than ideal.  This reality rings acutely true when that very important ‘whatever it may be’ needed to come through and didn’t, life is unfairly altered in an unforeseeable way, the diagnosis is terminal, or a loved one is lost.  The outlook of life because foggy, gray, and depressingly dismal, and the world’s response is “That is very unfortunate, but that is life”.  In this moment the crucible of life brings dross to the surface of silver linings in the form of a question, and that question is ‘How can such a good, loving, Holy God let this happen to me?’

At this juncture an answer is needed, but the answer is not to the question of the dross but a question of the silver.  That question is ‘Am I going to allow the circumstances of life define who I believe God to be?’

Our dear brother Paul had to answer this question himself after life threw him some unfortunate circumstances.  Jesus called him from darkness and into marvelous light, but it cost him his life.  Paul left being the BPOC (Big Pharisee On Campus) and became the ‘scum of the world’.  He lost his place of prestige and found the chains of prison.  The health, wealth and prosperity he knew became beatings, poverty, and impertinent contempt from those who once praised him.  I don’t know what he did for a living before he meet Jesus, but I’m confident a ‘Pharisee of Pharisees’ didn’t make tents.  Paul didn’t find a cake walk at Disney Land when he decided to follow Jesus.  He found a cross, died daily, and his mantra became ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’.

Paul had to answer the question, and his answer is as follows:

^“37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’” – Apostle Paul, Romans 8:37-39

We have to answer.  What will it be? Will the response to ‘trials of many kinds’ be “Why God?”, or “You love me Lord, and I trust in you”