“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right had of the throne of God.” ~Hebrews 12:1–2
What is the one thing that all people fear? Chaos. It doesn’t matter what form it may come in. Losing our loved ones. Experiencing a natural disaster. Having our foundational beliefs shaken. All of these methods involve chaos. It’s when we are in danger at our present state. When our future is at stake. So, what are we to do? What does the bible say about chaos? You might be surprised. So let us explore this question a little further…
The definition of suffering is pain without purpose. We endure trials that have no benefit in any way. Does this sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve experienced a difficult time and wondered if it was all in vain. Surprisingly, this question is rather common. We live in a world that involves daily pain. Past mistakes and regrets. Future worries and problems. As people living in this world, we have a lot to stress about. But Christians are the exception. Many may consider Christianity as a joke. Those who follow Christ are foolish in having a make-believe fairy-tale friend called Jesus. But I would side with the contrary. Christians have a lot to be proud about. True faith — not blind faith — is the aim here. Bragging about how our savior Jesus Christ conquered death is in itself something to brag about. Yet, there’s more. We as Christians can pride ourselves in knowing what we believe. To test it out and have confidence. And to have the willpower to endure any difficult trial for what we believe in. To be a Christian is not foolish. It is not a make-believe fairy-tale. It’s the truth. And if you don’t believe me, simply look up the facts yourself. That would certainly be welcome.
But let’s get back to the topic of chaos. Again, us Christians are in a privileged position. Our suffering is not in vain. Don’t believe me? Look at the cross. Look at how much chaos Jesus himself must have experienced. The disciples dove in so much chaos during that time, they became lost and confused. It was in the moment that made Peter deny Jesus three times. It was in the moment many of the disciples separated in fear of the chaos. They thought Jesus was dead. They thought their pain was in vain — the definition of suffering. Two-thousand years later, we now know Jesus dying on the cross was not in vain. It was at that time God turned the tables on Satan. It was through the cross that we may be with Him in heaven for eternity. In other words, God had taken the suffering and chaos that was the cross and gave it purpose. Look at other examples in the bible. How about all the Christian martyrs from the first century? They sacrificed themselves for their beliefs. And now they are with Him in heaven, enjoying eternal peace and security and being martyrs and witnesses of the truth. So let us be at ease when we go through trials. Let us have faith in what God is doing.
While we are on this earth, we will face suffering. Perhaps we’ve been diagnosed with cancer and only have a few weeks to live. Or perhaps we have been forced to watch a loved one pass away. To see dreams that we’ve had all of our life to shatter. It’s hard to suffer. But I have good news for you. As long as you are with Christ, you will never endure suffering. Your pain will always have meaning. So let us end this article on a good note. Go ahead and live for Him. Live with purpose and meaning. Remember that this life on earth is a fleeting experience. A blimp in time. We have heaven to look forward to. The promise that God made to us wasn’t that we would enjoy this life. His promise was He would see us through. The beginning of this article has my favorite pair of bible verses. It tells us to shake off the weight of this world, and run with patience the path that God has put ahead of us. We do this so that we may save others before it’s too late. And may we find peace and meaning in the darkest of places.
God bless.