Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31; Acts 9:1-25; 2 Corinthians 6: 1-10; 11:22-33
This chapter is again a first person testimony from around AD 64 as the writer observes Paul’s life and teaching, telling the story again of Paul’s conversion (Acts 9), and teaching about suffering. He tells many stories from Paul’s life, how he not only met Ananias who was sent to him after he was led, blind, into Damascus, but also, he saw in Ananias, the Lord Jesus, that same Lord he began to meet in the believers in every church he visited and founded.
In this context he says “Hardships make us bitter...or better. They lead us to breakdown...or breakthrough. If we don’t give up at that breaking point when we feel we’ve reached the end of our own resources, we find a new aliveness, the life of the risen Christ rising within us. Paul often says it like this: “I have been crucified with Christ. So it is no longer my prideful self who lives. Now it is Christ, alive in me” (p 198-199).
The chapter ends much like the book of Acts, with Paul in prison, Nero the emperor, and the unknown of what will come next: “Who knows where the road will lead? God will be with us, and we will make the road by walking, together” (199).
Share a story about one of your greatest hardships?
How do you respond to the idea that we discover God’s strength only through our weakness?
This week, when you’re tempted to complain, look for a blessing that could come from enduring hardship well.
In a strange way, the greatest hardship of my own life has not been the abuse I experienced as a kid, but the inner narratives I have battled, probably rooted in that abuse, as an adult. It has been the temptation to believe and follow the lies within my heart that has been the greatest hardship.
This inner torture has kept me bound at times, silenced me, bound me in fear, caused me to feel inadequate and unable to continue; it has left me depressed and alone. Truly, this has been a great bondage.
With the freedom and victory of Jesus, still I have battled. It is as if this was a thorn in my side against which I had had to learn to fight. I have had to choose truth over the lies that felt more true than “the earth is round.” I have had to battle the thoughts of failure, and choose to believe that success is borne of obedience and faithfulness. I have had to learn to be vulnerable, for when we let the truth of our hearts out into the open air, then and only then can darkness be dissipated. The crazy thing, although I can write about this, and although I am not a kid any longer, still I have daily choices to make in this battle to stand, to walk, to have faith, to choose life. Truth is a tough thing to choose when the lies have had a heyday for too long.
Having said this, I definitely believe I am better for the struggle and stronger too. I agree with the observation that hardships can either make us bitter or better, they will lead to breakdown or breakthrough. I’m still walking toward the breakthrough.