Soul Rest by Curtis Zackery

Author:Curtis Zackery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Rest--Religious aspects--Christianity., Sabbath., Christian life.
Publisher: Bellingham, WA
Published: 2018-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

DON’T WASTE YOUR SUFFERING

The suffering process looks different for different people. The one thing that every human being can count on is that this life will include trials. There are certain times in our lives when we feel as though each passing day is presenting us with a “test” that we will either pass or fail. The litany of challenges that pop up reminds me of the Choose Your Own Adventure books that I used to adore as a kid. In these books, you would read the story and then come to a place where you were able to choose between a couple of responses to the challenge at hand. These choices would dictate how the next step in the story looked. Just like these books, I often feel as though my decision to react or respond to certain tests and trials will directly affect the outcome of my real-life story.

In James 1, we see that without suffering, we can’t be the individuals that God intends us to be. If this is indeed the case, we cannot waste our pain. We need to be fully present and engage the process.

As much as this seems counterintuitive, we cannot rush through our grieving and lament. Ignoring the implications of suffering in our lives creates an illusion of soundness and doesn’t allow us the benefit of the shaping season. We need to process well and pray for restoration in the midst of the pain.

When we ignore or attempt to medicate our suffering, the temporary lack of pain is an illusion that we’re “over it.” If we attempt to move on, to get over it, even with the purpose of being a blessing and encouragement to others, we miss the chance to get a substantial benefit of learning and growing through our suffering. When we find rest in our souls, it produces peace that goes beyond anything that we could imagine. We need this peace to have the strong constitution to remain.

When we are in the midst of what we perceive as a “testing” season, it may feel as though the tests meant to gauge our response to adverse or frustrating situations. Expensive car repairs, health challenges, and other various trials all seem to “pop up” out of nowhere. As these things present themselves, we may be acutely aware of the “what will you do” moment—the moment that seemingly allows us to choose our outcome. Our desire is to continually be glorifying the Lord with our actions and attitudes, which at times creates an internal struggle. When these types of situations have arisen in my life, there has always been a direct connection to my response and the intimate time that I am or am not spending with the Lord. When we have our eyes fixed on the cross and have chosen to delight in the Lord and acknowledge Him, we find ourselves “walking well” in the midst of our trials.

However, the interesting question that still comes to mind for many in these types

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