Dealing With the Difficult

How do you react when things go wrong, times when it just seems you aren’t getting the breaks? Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from this story involving former President Dwight Eisenhower. He was asked, “Mr. President, you have known every great man of our time. Who was the greatest man you ever met?”

He replied, “It wasn’t a man. It was a woman. It was my mother. She never had much schooling, but she was wise in God’s wisdom. She went to school to the greatest of all books, the Bible. And she acquired real wisdom.” 

He continued, “Once when I was a boy, my brother and I were playing a game of cards with my mother. The game was with cards — not regular playing cards because she was too straight-laced for that — but a hand of cards was dealt and I remember this night mother dealt me an utterly impossible hand. And I began to complain about it.”

She said, “Boys, put your cards down, I want to tell you something, especially you, Dwight. You are playing a game in your home with your mother under loving circumstances. We all love each other here and I have dealt you a bad hand. What are you to do? You are to pray to God. You are to trust God and like a man you are to play out the hand that is dealt you.”

“And,” said Dwight Eisenhower, “that is one of the wisest things I learned in my youth.”

We all get dealt bad hands. Right? Often it seems it is not fair. Fair isn’t the issue, the right response is. Pray about it and play it out using the wisdom and grace you have. Trust the Lord as you do that He will enable you to get the best possible result. The result may not be what you want, but it will be your best, resulting in the best.

There was a time when the Apostle Paul had been dealt a bad hand that put him in a Roman prison. Not a good hand. How is he to play it out? He wrote what is known as the prison epistles, one of which was the book of Philippians.

Even though this letter was written in the midst of hardship, while Paul was a prisoner, it still shouts victory and joy, because the words “joy” and “rejoicing” are used sixteen times in the four short chapters of the book. There is no hint of “poor little old me,” not a sniveling word. He described his response in such a way worthy of our responses. 

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 3: 13, 14)

“I press” indicates it was not easy for him, and will not be for us to play out some hands.

Why the Law?

In our feel good society the full gospel isn’t being preached. A health, wealth, and prosperity “gospel” is being preached. Consider the consequences.  Two men were on an airplane. Both were given parachutes. One was told it would make his flight more comfortable, enjoyable and he would feel good. He was told in euphemistic terms he would be more fulfilled and happier if he wore it.

Putting it on he looked different, and to some people funny. Some started whispering about him and laughing at him. This plus it not fulfilling things promised made him want to take it off.

The second man given a parachute was told that he should put it on because in a few minutes all fuel on the plane would be exhausted and he would have to jump from 20,000 feet to save his life. 

The first man took his off feeling embarrassed because he was told something that wasn’t true. He was told it would make his flight more enjoyable and he would be happier with it on. It did not live up to the hype. 

Some people today say Jesus will make you healthier, wealthier, and more prosperous. Along come problems and difficulties and the person becomes disillusioned. He wants to put off Christ.

The second fellow in the flight knows why he needs the parachute. It is to save his live. A flight attendant might come along with a pot of steaming hot coffee and spill it all over the man. What does he do, simply say, “My, that is hot.” Yes, he does though in a more forceful manner. However, he won’t take off his chute. He didn’t put it on for comfort, but to save his life. He knows what is coming and he is ready. You couldn’t tear that chute off him. He knows it is essential for the inevitable jump. Having it on even makes him look forward to the jump.

People don’t want to be saved from danger until they know about it. They don’t want to escape danger until they see it.

It is at the “Sinai School for Successful Living” that we learn how to really live. The curriculum is simple: The Ten Commandments.

That is the purpose of the Ten Commandments. They identify sin for us. The Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6: 23). That is in the book to exhort persons to put on the chute, Jesus Christ.            

Who needs to do so? Romans 3: 19 says one purpose of the law is that it might be known “all the world may become guilty.” Why? In order that they might know what is a reality whether they know it or not.  

Some aren’t willing to put on Jesus for the inevitable jump into eternity. Once you have, it even makes you look forward to the jump. Once you know why you need to trust Him no one can separate you from Him.

Galatians 3: 24, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” That is, the law teaches us our need for Christ.

Hope Lives

The byproduct of “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…”  Galatians 5: 22

There is an acid soil in which a sweet fruit grows. Observe, in the text word “fruit” (karpos) is single and the object plural. This is because at the time of the translation into English the time of harvest was called the time of “fruiting.” A more accurate translation in light of today’s language is, “The harvest of the Spirit is ….” You are not to claim only one or two of the fruit, but all of them are to be manifest in the life of a believer. However, consider makrothymia, the one which is properly variously translated longsuffering, patience, forbearance, temperance, the fourth Greek virtue, means self-control. For clarity consider the fourth to be self-control.

We all have appetites, interests, and experiences. Run through an inventory of them starting with an appetite for good food. Controlling them is our responsibility. 

The principle of the two natures can be a bit confusing. As believers we are no longer in the flesh, but we still have the flesh. The old sin nature was not eradicated at the moment of salvation, but by the Spirit it can be incarcerated and with that comes the potential fruit of the Spirit. Oh, joy. There is victory in Jesus. The struggle will never end. Neither will the all sufficient enabling grace of God.

Self-control consists of two words. Consider the last first: control. It is needed in all areas of life. An object out of control can’t perform the reason for its existence. The missile fired by a gun that is out of control can’t hit the intended target. Likewise, a person out of control can’t hit the intended target. In life it means a person out of control can’t achieve their best at anything. Remember this the next time you are about to lose control of yourself. 

When you lose control another force takes control. Actually when you lose control you, not the Spirit, is in control. That is not good.

Now the first word in self-control. God never asks us to do anything He does not give us the ability to do. The ability to self-control is given by the Spirit within you. That means you already have within you the Holy Spirit to empower you to achieve self-control. As He controls you, you exercise your capacity for control.

Don’t expect the Spirit to do it for you, but He will enable you to do it of your own free will. “Will?” That means if you will do it He will enable you to do it. The more you will for Him to control you the more instinctive it becomes for you and the Spirit to act as one. Start now and don’t give up even if you fail occasionally.

Depression

Dr. Paul Tournier, a celebrated Swiss physician and psychiatrist, noted, “Most illnesses do not, as is generally thought, come like a bolt out of the blue. The ground is prepared for years, through faulty diet, intemperance, overwork, and moral conflicts, slowly eroding the subject’s vitality. Man does not die, he kills himself . . . . Every act of physical, psychological and moral disobedience of God’s purpose is an act of wrong living and has inevitable consequences.” “Inevitable,” means you can’t cheat the results of such conduct.

God’s word proposes antidotes to these health eroding factors. By taking His spiritual correctives, taking medicine can often be avoided. Tournier’s statement, “Man does not die, he kills himself,” should be taken seriously. It has been said no one has ever died from old age.

Consider just one emotional bandit, depression. If you have it you are not alone. It is estimated eight million Americans a year suffer from depression so deep they miss work or have to see a doctor. Have you ever felt like Abraham Lincoln who wrote, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell. I awfully (regretfully) forebode (foretell) I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better, it appears to me.”

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek philosopher and physician, was the first person known to write about depression, calling it melancholy. There are various kinds of depression. The central nervous system along with the endocrine glands produce most of the chemicals needed for normal body functions. At times there is an imbalance which is one cause of depression. In this instance a doctor should be seen.

Spiritual depression generally refers to a loss of spiritual vitality and joy. In this instance Scriptural principles should be used. Our Lord appeals to us:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Pause, meditate, memorize, and resolve to apply that several times a day.

God has promised, “‘For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:10)

“For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:13)

Again pause, meditate, memorize, and resolve to apply these daily. A medicine is no good unless taken. These truths are of no value unless applied.

Adages for Aging

This promise made to Isaiah is relevant to you regardless of your age:

“EVEN TO YOUR OLD AGE AND GRAY HAIRS I AM THE ONE.
I AM THE ONE WHO WILL SUSTAIN YOU.
I HAVE MADE YOU AND I WILL CARRY YOU;
I WILL SUSTAIN YOU AND I WILL RESCUE YOU.” ISAIAH 46: 4

Write that on the wall of your cranium. Read it often. It is a wonderful promise. As the candles get more crowded on our birthday cake these promises become more precious.

We do well to pray : “… teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

In Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, we are advised “Not merely to count them, how many they are, in an arithmetical way . . . but the sense is, that God would teach us seriously to meditate on . . . the shortness of our days . . . and to observe how unprofitably we have spent them; which may encourage us to be redeeming the time.”

Some believe youth is the happiest time of life. Not so! The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts. Thus you can grow happier as you grow older. Deposit godly thoughts in your memory bank so you can enjoy the dividends as they pay interest.

Unfortunately some are robbed of the joy of age by a mental disorder or other ailments. However, keep your mind young as long as you are able. A creative way of doing so is to study to show yourself a workman approved unto God. Motivate yourself to memorize passages of scripture. Start now regardless of your age. The mind is like a muscle that must be exercised to be strong.

This is a prayer for a person of any age. “Dear God, please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil.”

We have been reminded: “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.”

It matters not how long you live, but how you live.

“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God….” ( Ps. 71: 18) When prone to pray that text reflect on the passage from Isaiah with which this Post opened.