You Can Change #27 (Chapter 3)

We're in the middle of chapter 3 in You Can Change, which is titled "How Are You Going to Change?" The first half described the wrong way to change, which really came down to anything we try to do on our own, in our own effort. Now we've moved on to the right means of change, which are the ways that God effects change in our lives. First, we look at "the liberating work of the Father."

Hebrews 12:10-11

10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Tim Chester:

The Father is using all the circumstances of our lives to make us more holy. His work in our lives will ultimately produce "a harvest of righteousness and peace."

This doesn't mean that bad things in our lives are a direct retribution for some specific misconduct. God never punishes us since Christ has already paid the price of our sin in full. God always and only disciplines us to strengthen our relationship with him. It is always an act of love. It's a sign that we are truly God's children (Hebrews 12:8). God uses hardship (Hebrews 12:7) to weaken our allegiance to this world and set our hope on the world to come, to weaken our dependence on worldly things and strengthen our faith in him (Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9). Even the sinless Son of God was made perfect by God through suffering (Hebrews 2:10). (47)

I don't believe that this can be overstated: This is a crucial difference in perspective that can make a radical difference in our everyday attitudes. Do we look at our suffering as God punishing us? It's worthwhile to examine ourselves for sin, to see if we have brought on certain consequences, but we should be confident, because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, that God is not punishing us. Jesus took our punishment-- every bit of it-- if our trust is in him.

Furthermore, whatever hardship that God, in his wisdom, brings into our lives is meant to refine us. The Bible uses the image of refining gold to describe this same idea: the fire burns away the impurities to leave only the purest, most precious gold. The question is, "Can we see it that way?" Then after that, "Can we respond to trials in a different way because of this reality?"

We usually respond to suffering with complaints and arguments. "Why me, God?" "Why did you allow this?" "What have I done to deserve this?" "Don't you love me?" Instead of pressing into God with faith, we push back at him. He tries to hold us, and we are arching our backs.

Instead, we should be falling limp into his arms, giving up the fight and resting in his promises to us. He promises that he will always be with us, that he will work everything for our good, and that he will make everything right in the end. "If God is for me, who can be against me?" "If he gave up his only Son for me, won't he give me everything else I need?"

One more thing-- be careful with the line, "God is trying to teach me something through this." That's fine, if you mean something like Tim Chester says above: learning to let go of this world and beginning to hope in God alone. But don't fret over some specific lesson or elusive insight, expecting that it will immediately make the pain of suffering somehow make sense. The "why" questions are not answered now, and it all doesn't add up until eternity.

The first half of the chapter was pointing us to walking by faith, and that is exactly what we see here. Trust God and see him work in your life. He will change you, but be ready-- it will probably be painful.

Have you complained to God about any painful experiences, and then saw how he worked them for good?

Can you think of more biblical promises to help us respond in faith to trials?