Enduring Pain

 

I used to play a lot of basketball, like seven days a week. I was always on teams or just playing in the driveway. I have always loved the sport. One of the downsides of playing a contact sport, however, is that it leads to injuries. I always had jammed fingers or sprained ankles, not to mention broken bones. If left untreated, these small injuries can turn into long lasting ailments. 

 

Do you know what the best treatment is for a sprained ankle? The answer is an ice bath for your foot. If you fill a bucket with ice and submerge your ankle into the icy depths, you can greatly reduce your recovery time. The only problem is that keeping your foot under ice is excruciatingly painful. If you can keep your foot in the ice for two solid minutes you will cut your recovery time in half. Leave it there an additional minute and you will be walking the next day. It’s a great remedy, but leaving your foot in ice for three minutes brings a level of pain most people are not willing to endure. Instead, they will hobble around for days or weeks, when all they needed was three minutes of pain. 

 

James 1:2-3 holds the title of MVP of the “easier said than done” verses in the Bible. James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” That word patience, translated as steadfastness in newer versions, comes from a combination of two Greek words, meaning “to remain under.” James encourages us to count our trials as pure joy because the hardships we face produce within us the ability to remain under for a longer period of time. If we have come to recognize that many of our trials have been allowed by God in order to refine us, we can think of our trials as that bucket of ice; it isn’t pleasant, but it will bring about some good. 

 

When most people give up on the ice after a minute, they shortchange themselves and miss out of their healing. In a similar way, when we beg God to end our trials, that is like taking our foot out of the ice before it is time. We end up aggravating the injury, so to speak, going through more and more trials because we haven’t learned the lesson God is trying to teach us. Our trials build up our endurance and make us able to “remain under” the ice until the full and proper time. 

 

In his book When Life is Hard, pastor James MacDonald asks, “Why remain [under]? Because the nail that doesn’t remain under the hammer will never reach the goal; because the rough diamond that doesn’t remain under the chisel will never become a precious jewel; because the gold that doesn’t remain under the fire will never be a thing of beauty; because the Christian that doesn’t remain under the hand of God will never see His purpose for trail accomplished and will never experience the blessings on the other side.” 

 

Let me encourage you to remain under when you go through trials. They are a guarantee, so we might as well learn the lesson we are meant to learn. Instead of begging God to end the storm, ask Him what He is trying to teach you. 

 

Ten Days

 

The book of Revelation is most commonly known for its graphic descriptions of end times prophecy, but in the second and third chapters, there are letters written to seven churches that existed in the first century. While each of the seven churches were real congregations, they represent the church at large. 

 

In the letter to the church at Smyrna we read, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (2:10).” The fact that the tribulation for these Christians will last “ten days” has led to debate over the years. Will their tribulation last for exactly ten days, or is the number ten symbolic, using a short, round number? 

 

Dr. Henry Morris sees a connection to the book of Daniel. This makes sense because John clearly relied on Daniel’s writings for Revelation. Remember when Daniel and his three friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) refused to eat the king’s meat and drink his wine? Daniel said to the steward, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink (1:12).” 

 

The believers in Smyrna were tested for ten days, just as the four obedient young men were tested in Babylonian captivity. What happened in Babylon? “And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies (v.15),” and “As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams (v.17).”

 

What happened in Smyrna during their ten days? That we do not know. But what we can gather by comparing Revelation 2 to Daniel 1 is that what we might consider to be tribulation may just be a test in the mind of God. Tribulation can often be viewed as just torture; nothing good comes from it, and we can’t wait for it to be over. Instead, we should try to view our trials as a test the way Daniel and company did. Try to view your trials as an opportunity to prove something good about yourself and your God. 

 

If you are going through a hard time, determine that at the end of your ten days you are going to be a better person, and somehow God is going to be glorified. If God is trying to teach you a character trait, commit to learn it. If God is trying to fine tune your patience, allow Him to do it. If there is an opportunity to point people to God, commit to making that happen. Please don’t think I am trying to minimize tribulations in life, but neither do I want to waste them. Daniel’s ten days of testing were used to prove the sovereignty of God in a pagan world, and maybe yours will do the same. 

 

 

 

Be Prepared

In 1995 Scott O’Grady’s F-16 fighter jet was shot down over Bosnia. It would be six days before American forces were able to rescue him, so O’Grady had to survive in enemy territory for almost a week. He had no rations or supplies, yet he was able to get through until his allies came to his rescue. The reason O’Grady was able to survive this trial in his life is simply that he was prepared. 

Anyone who has worn the uniform knows Uncle Sam trains people for every situation, including the art of survival. The military doesn’t just hope for the best, they train for the worst. They realize that danger is a very real possibility, and they do not want a single soldier caught off guard. Everyone who serves understands that trials and hardships come with the territory. 

Why do we think the Christian life should be any different? Trials will surely come. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).” We love the promise that Jesus has overcome the world, but we often ignore the part where we will have tribulation in life. Peter found it odd that some Christians were ill prepared for these trials. He wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you (I Peter 4:12).”

Unfortunately it seems that Christians still think trials are “some strange thing” that isn’t supposed to happen. Many have been deceived by ear-pleasing preachers who tell them to simply live for God and have faith, and God will make sure everything goes their way. Some have subconsciously developed a theology that tells them as long as they live right, say their prayers, go to church, and tithe, then they should expect nothing but good things from God; only sinners go through trials.

This way of thinking causes believers to be blindsided when trials do come. They begin to doubt God, wondering how in the world He could have allowed the hardship. While this column does not seek to explain all the reasons why God allows them, it is a reminder that He does. We need to be prepared for the trials of life because they can come without warning. And yet, we have been warned. In this world we will have tribulation. 

If Scott O’Grady could survive behind enemy lines because of his preparation, then we can survive the trials that life throws at us. Our preparation should include daily time with God through prayer and Bible study, maturing in the faith so that we are not misled, and growing in our relationship with the Father. If we are close to God when the trials come, we will be much better prepared to endure them.