VOLUME 1
The process of Life
Chapter 1: Growing pains Chapter 2: Why so much pain? Chapter 3: The path of freedom
Chapter 2: Why so much pain?
Why has God placed us in a world where there is so much pain and suffering, disappointments and frustrations as well as such powerful temptations?
Sometimes, we may wish that we could be spiritual without pain and difficulties. Could we not ask God to help us to be morally good and beautiful without having to go through the painful process of growth? As we prayerfully ponder over what is good and meaningful in life, we may realize that it is unlikely for us to develop deep, strong and lasting moral quality if we experience only easy situations. Can we develop such moral quality if we do not want the painful process of denying ourselves (Luke 9: 23)? If we do not go through difficulties in life, we may still appear good and strong and beautiful, but it is likely to be only an appearance, an outward form, with little valuable moral and spiritual substance in our being.
One day, while walking, my attention was drawn towards a surprising sight of beautiful oranges on a tree. I had not expected to see oranges in that context. Walking nearer, the difference between the tree and the 'oranges' became obvious. The tree was beautifully alive, with green leaves and crimson flowers, but the 'oranges' were lifeless pieces of plastic tied to branches of the tree by pieces of metal wire.
Beautiful oranges
Beauty without life
If we want a quick process to develop well, to appear beautiful without going through much pain and problems, we may become like these artificial oranges. They look like beautiful oranges but in substance they are plastic material produced in a factory that can manufacture thousands of such 'oranges' within a very short time, compared with the whole process of growing an orange tree. A factory production line does not require the effort of planting the tree, adding fertilizer, dealing with pests, ensuring enough water and harvesting at the right time. The 'oranges' may appear beautiful but of what value are they for our physical well-being? Who would buy such an 'orange' if he wants to eat a nutritious fruit?
Likewise, who would value and trust a person who appears attractive in outward form but on close examination, lacks or has very little moral and spiritual life and quality in the heart? In Matthew 23: 27, 28, the Lord Jesus likened the hypocritical Pharisees to graves that had been whitewashed. They appeared beautiful outwardly but within them, they were filled with the bones of dead men and all uncleanness. The Pharisees wanted the approval and praise of men and they wanted to appear beautiful morally. They were willing to spend many hours reading the Scriptures but they were not willing to go through the painful process of submission to God's teaching and discipline. As such they could not be transformed in their character to become truly beautiful in their heart. Likewise, many of the rulers believed in the Lord Jesus but they were not prepared to be identified with Him because of fear of the Pharisees. They preferred the easier path and they valued the approval of men more than the approval of God (John 12: 42, 43). Many Christians today may also profess deep love for God and appear sincere and spiritual, and while their testimonies and efforts may transmit 'technically correct' words and expressions, there may be very little spiritual life and vitality. In times of stress and pain, when the self is hurt, the free flow of words of praise for God may turn into streams of complaint, grumbling and bitterness, transmitting spiritual negativeness and death.
If you want enduring quality in a house that can withstand fierce storms, would you build a grass hut? Would you not ensure that you lay a deep and stable foundation and build with solid and strong material? In the spiritual realm this is also true. The Lord Jesus tells us that if we want to withstand the storms of life, we must dig deep and lay a good foundation, building our house upon the rock (Luke 6: 47, 48). In spiritual reality, it means the preparedness to live by what God has revealed to us, regardless of what it costs us, however difficult the path may be, and whatever pain and problems this would bring to our lives.
In olden days, strong castles were very important for defence from enemies. They were difficult to build and difficult to attack and subdue. However, there are other kinds of 'castles' that can be built rapidly and appear beautiful but can also be destroyed rapidly.
This beautiful castle of sand was built rapidly but was also demolished rapidly
This is similar to the plants that sprout rapidly but wither and dry up just as rapidly in the heat of the sun because they have not grown deep roots in the rocky ground due to a lack of soil (Matthew 13: 5, 6, 20, 21). A superficial and emotional response in our commitment to God does not equip us to endure in times when there is a cost to our expression of faith.
In 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15, the apostle Paul tells us that after we have become Christians, we must be careful how we build - whether we build with "gold, silver and precious stones" or with "wood, grass and stubble". This refers to the moral and spiritual quality of what we have done in our lives. We can easily obtain "wood, grass and stubble", but great effort and perseverance and focus are needed in order to build with "gold, silver and precious stones" in the spiritual realm. The level of purity of gold is often related to the degree of fire and refining that has taken place. If we want to produce quality in what we do, we must first learn to develop quality in what we are, and this is related to the degree of spiritual refining that we have undergone, in the midst of pain and fire.
A major principle in life is that to be strong and stable, we must learn to withstand opposition. If what we believe is never challenged, if what we seek for can be easily obtained, we may not know what it means to develop deep convictions and values that we are 'willing to die for' (Revelation 12: 11).
In His infinite wisdom and sovereign greatness, God has allowed the evil one and the powers of darkness to remain in this world so that our choices will be challenged and tested. In order to overcome the evil one and his wiles, we must stand firm in our commitment to God and develop deep moral quality in our being. We must also learn to be alert and prayerful and walk in the light of God's ways.
When it is dark, we may not see clearly
The evil one operates most effectively in the darkness and his dominion, or realm of authority, is described as the "dominion of darkness" (Colossians 1: 13). The evil one can inflict damage to our moral character if we allow him, in situations that may not be so obviously dangerous to us. This can easily occur when we walk in the darkness because we are afraid of the light of God (John 3: 19-21). However, when we "walk in the light" (1 John 1: 7) and are prayerful and vigilant, we will be able to detect his presence and activity more readily and overcome him with the Lord's enabling.
Light exposes what is in the dark
Walking in the light involves living by the light of the revelation and ways of God and this leads to a life of moral and spiritual light and life in our being. It requires an honest heart that is prepared to come to the light of God in order to be taught and corrected rather than hide in the darkness of dishonesty and self-justification. The evil one is cunning and deceptive and unless we are alert and keep close to God at all times, we may not realize that he is at work in the darkness and we may draw near to him and follow his ways without recognizing it in our hearts.
We may wonder why it is so easy to go our own way even when we sincerely desire what is good and we appreciate God in His moral perfection. The primary reason is the way we make our choices. What forms the basis for our decisions? If our choices are made solely on the basis of what is morally good and pleasing to God, we will not go our own way but we will be steadfast in following God and His ways. However, to a very large extent, we often make our choices on the basis of what we like rather than what is right. We often choose what is tastier rather than what is healthier. We often choose on the basis of feeling rather than meaning, passing pleasures rather than eternal spiritual treasures. In minor issues this may not be seriously amiss morally, but if this way is characteristic of our way of life, it will set the moral direction of our hearts, with serious consequences.
If following God always means comfort and enjoyment in this world, we would readily choose to follow God, but if we do so, would we develop deep quality in our character? The Jews were keen to follow the Lord Jesus when they saw Him feeding the five thousand. Instead of being deeply pleased, the Lord Jesus said to them, "Truly truly I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were satisfied. Do not labour for the food that is perishing, but for the food that endures to everlasting life, which the Son of man will give you..." (John 6: 26, 27). The Jews were enthusiastic in following the Lord Jesus because of material benefits that they wanted to receive from Him and not because they recognized Him to be God's Anointed One whom they should submit to and follow. This approach is not uncommon among believers who long for pleasant and enjoyable circumstances in this world and look to God to provide such circumstances for them according to His almighty power. They may even view material prosperity as an indication of their spirituality, a sign of God's blessing on a life of faithfulness. As God owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" (Psalm 50: 10), so these "cattle" should also belong to His children, so they reason. While at times God may bless us with material things when He is pleased with us, it is improper and dangerous to view material prosperity as implying spiritual blessedness.
The Lord Jesus reminds us that a slave is not greater than his master and if we are His slaves, we should be prepared to follow Him wherever this may lead us. He tells us "foxes have holes and birds of the sky have nests but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9: 58). Do we still want to follow Him? He also says "if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also" (John 15: 20). Would we recoil, and withdraw from being associated with Him if it means persecution and pain? On the other hand, it does not mean that painful situations are always the most helpful for our lives. The apostle Paul went through times of ease as well as times of pain, times of appreciation by men as well as times of persecution, misrepresentation and false accusations. Through all these, he loved God and remained faithful to Him, bringing life to his exhortation: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" (Philippians 4: 4).
We must decide what we want: the temporal or the eternal, the self-centred or the God-centred, the self-seeking or the self-giving, the pleasures of sin or the treasures of heaven, to feel good or to be good? What kind of faith portrays your life?
Faith - is this? (Song)
When the sun shone very gently,
And the sea breeze blew tenderly,
Business flourishing, friends approving,
His heart was glad, freely rejoicing.
"Thank You, Lord!" he said, looking above,
"Truly You are such a God of love!"
The storm arose; the fierce winds blew.
Business collapsed; his friends grew few.
He gave up his Bible and time of prayer,
For "These," he said, "bring me no favour!"
"How very bitter is life to me,
How unkind is God I can now see!"
O my friend, is your faith like that?
Is your life based on what you can get?
Have you not the Lord truly met?
How deeply He loves you, and yet!
His holiness will always abide,
Whatever men's selfish appetite!
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
And your suffering you cannot fathom,
Seek His kingdom first and His righteousness,
And trust His love and faithfulness!
Loving God each day, in pain and ease,
Faith is alive, with such joy and peace!
(The Lord willing, this song will be available in audio form on the web site: http://www.ajourneyinlife.org and http://www.ajourneyinlife.com. Update: click here to listen to the song)
In Matthew 6: 25-33, the Lord Jesus tells us if we were to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, God will take care of our basic material needs in this world. In Luke 18: 22, He told the rich man that if he were to follow His instruction to sell all he had and give to the poor, he would have treasure in heaven. If we genuinely give up our lives to live for God, we can confidently trust Him that in His love and faithfulness He will always take care of us: not only our basic temporal needs, but more importantly, our eternal well-being.
What do we value in life? Do we want the Lord and His kingdom and His holiness or would we yield to the deceptive and tempting offer of the world that the evil one brings to us? Our choice will decide our eternal destiny: where we will be and what we will be.
Is it worthwhile?
Do you think that pain and problems are a meaningful context for development of quality of character? Have you benefited from such times?
Are times of ease and pleasure helpful for your development or are they a danger? In what ways?
What is the main reason for our going our own way? How can we correct this problem? Does this issue make a difference to the temptations that we face?
If for what we believe we do not stand to fight,
What we are will not radiate pure and divine light!