LEMONS TO LEMONADE: Tool #10 to Equip You for Battle: Use Your Trials to Point Others to Christ
My brother, Scott, used his eight years of battling lymphoma to point others to Christ. He modeled for us the joys and treasures he found through his suffering. Scott was open about his Christian faith before he was sick, yet people seemed to lean in and listen more closely while he was battling cancer. It was the same message of hope, but more powerful when spoken from the hard place of faith without seeing. God used the life and the death of my brother for much good as Scott continued to look to Christ for his strength and hope.
I don’t think any of us would sign up for the hardships we’ve had to go through. I think most of us would take an “I’ll pass on that” card if given the opportunity. Personally, I would not have had the courage to sign myself up for raising a special needs child or any of the bigger challenges the Lord has allowed in my life. But God has a different plan for his children who desire to be used by Him for Kingdom good.
Not one of our trials ever takes God by surprise. If his word says that “God works all things together for good” (Rom 8:28), then there has to be good found in the hard things we go through. But how? First, very little is gained when we stay stuck asking the “WHY ME?” question of our difficulties. God works his good in our situation when, instead, we ask, “Now what, Lord? What do you want me to do with this trial?
Our response in times of adversity is perhaps the truest indicator of who we really are and what we believe. Elizabeth Elliot, in Be Still My Soul, writes, “What counts the most is not what happens to us, but how we respond and how we look to God for strength and guidance.” Our adversity can be our opportunity to let Jesus shine. It doesn't necessarily make our hardships easier but it lightens the load knowing there is purpose in our pain.
Atlanta pastor, Louie Giglio, explains how we shine Jesus on others this way. Giglio describes the moon as a “big ball of dirt” (it has no source of light in and of itself). Yet people refer to a full moon as something bright and beautiful! The moon’s beauty is not in the moon itself but in its reflection of the sun’s light towards us. It’s the same when you and I choose to turn to Jesus in our trials. Others see the light and hope of Christ in us.
You are pointing others to Jesus when you:
Learn from past hurts and are better from them.
Call out to Jesus and let others know where your help comes from. David did this when he wrote Psalm 121:1-2. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Some people may not believe what we say about our Jesus, but it is hard to deny his Presence when they see His supernatural strength in us.
Offer comfort to those who are hurting (even if you are hurting). Trust that God’s grace will be sufficient to fill you back up with more of Him as you pour yourself out to others. “God...comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” 2 Cor 1:4.
“Run your race to win the prize… a crown that will last forever”(1Cor 9:25). Your crown is to hear the Lord say, “Well done good and faithful servant!”
Don’t wait for your storms to pass. Learn to dance in the rain (a wonderful saying on a plaque that hangs in my house). Remember that it is not about you having “perfect” faith but placing your mustard seed of faith in the One who is always faithful. Others will be inspired to do the same.
The pain of whatever difficulty you’re going through loses its sting as you see that your trial did not destroy you and has made you a stronger reflection of Christ than you were before.
How might YOU use one of the bullet points above to honor God and help someone else see Him through your struggle?