Kids.

Ever feel like being a child again? Living life with little worry and doubt. Knowing that your parents will always put food on your table and that they’ll always be there to pick you up after school? Those days were simple and unfortunately pass.

Eventually we all face life. We all face the difficulties and struggles that accompany living in a world corrupted by sin. As children we may not be completely aware of the sinful world we live in, but eventually it becomes more and more of a reality as we age. We are eventually exposed to a world of evil that in some way shape or form creeps its way into your life.

It doesn’t matter how Christian you are—you will face hardship. It doesn’t even matter how human you are—you will face hardship. We find these difficulties from a wide variety of sources and shapes. They may be as miniscule as an argument with a friend or as gargantuan as a teen pregnancy in your own household—it doesn’t matter this is the world we live in.

In my young 23 years of life I have faced a great deal of pain in my life; pain that is seldom spoken out loud, pain that is seldom shared for the public ear, pain that causes questions. How does a believer respond to such difficult situations? How can a believer honor God when his/her life is in such pain and confusion?

There are a few things that I consistently remind myself when dealing with such situations that bring me back to a certain level of sanity:

1.Pray that God reveal my sin. We may not realize it, but many times the pain and struggles we face are caused by our own reckless sinful nature. To pray that God reveal our sin so that it can be killed and expelled by the Holy Spirit helps diminish the pain and suffering we face.

Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my hearts; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”

There is no hiding sin before a omniscient and omnipresent God. He is fully aware and all the believer can do is be humble and ask for God to make known the things in life that are ungodly and sinful.

2.When not caused by our own sin, understand that suffering is a part of the Christian life and is used to draw us closer to God and to bring glory to God.

Let’s be honest, we often get hit with struggles and lows during times when we feel we are walking closely with our Lord. When life feels like a well oiled machine and things are working at full capacity we often get bogged down by some random trial or struggle.

Suffering should be expected in our life:

Philippians 1:29-30, “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

1 Peter 2:21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps”

Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

For some reason, when we encounter suffering it points us back to the cross. It is a mere reminder of the massive pain and suffering that Christ had endured on the cross. It humbles us and brings us to the reality of the greater pain Christ endured. The pain that we feel is but a drop in the bucket in comparison to that experienced by Christ. In a way our sufferings should produce a deeper love and commitment to follow the Savior.

3.Remember that God is absolutely sovereign and will accomplish His purposes.

This is perhaps the most difficult one to swallow because it is accompanied with so many more questions. Questions that will require a whole other blog to answer, but for the time being we must settle with knowing that God is completely good and completely sovereign.

Ephesians 1:11b, “ . . . having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will”

Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”

Job 42:2, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”

We just have to realize that all things will work for His glory. All things, even the difficult and painful things in our life bring glory to God. Whether it produces greater love for the Savior in the hearts of the believer, or the condemnation of a guilty unbeliever—all glorify God.

4.Sufferings and trials do not eradicate the believer’s call to obedience and dependency on God.

Reading Psalm 3 and 4 have been part of my devotions the last few days and I’ve been humbled by its God-centeredness and conviction in my own life.

Even in difficulty David can say, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head” (Ps. 3:2-3). I want to rest in God even in the face of the difficulties in my life.

Later in Psalm 4 David goes on to say, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord.” I hope that even in my life when I feel confused in the midst of difficulty and struggle that I would continue to pursue righteousness and trust in the Lord.

Conclusion

These are just a few thoughts that run through my mind when the world can seem so gut wrenching. I am glad that the Lord is quick to relieve me with His Word and His promises. I love my God. He is absolutely sovereign even in the face of difficulty.

I pray that every person would come to know such a God, the Lord, the God who never fails, falters, or stumbles, the God who sustains and works all things for the greater purpose of His glory. The God of the Bible. The God who has provided salvation through the perfect life and atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for all who trust in Him. The God who can be our greatest comfort in life’s most pressing moments.

So to answer my initial question, yes I do want to be a child. And thankfully I always am a child, a child of God.