when the going gets tough · title: when the going gets tough author: joe stowell subject...

$: When The Going Gets Tough · Title: When The Going Gets Tough Author: Joe Stowell Subject $Downloadable PDF$ Created Date: 20070501151327Z$
WHEN THEGOING GETSTOUGHby Joe Stowell

DDuring his years ofpastoring, radio

broadcasting, and the presidency of Moody Bible Institute, Joe Stowell has helped many hurting people findstrength for the journey of life.

With a reassuring realism that is rooted in the timelesscounsel of the Word of God, Joe proclaims a message of hopeand faith that we can have as we travel the wonderful yetdifficult road of life.

This is the kind ofencouragement you will find in the following pages excerptedfrom The Upside Of Down byDiscovery House Publishers.

Martin R. De Haan II

CONTENTSUnderstanding The Trials That Trouble Us . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Trials Of Place And Race . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Trials Of Temptation . . . . 7

Trials Of Identification . . 9

Trials Of Discipline . . . . 12

Trials Of Consequence For Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Trials Of Display. . . . . . 18

Trials Of BrokenExpectations. . . . . . . . . 20

Responding To Trials . . . 23

The Necessity For Controlling OurResponse . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The Result Of A Right Response . . . . . 24

The Joy Of Our Response . . . . . . . 27

The Content Of Our Response . . . . . . . 29

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo:Terry BidgoodUnless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New International Version®. NIV®.Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission ofZondervan.All rights reserved.This booklet is based on a portion of The Upside Of Down by Joseph M. Stowell, published byDiscovery House Publishers, a member of the RBC Ministries family.© 2007 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

HP072 When The Going Gets Tough pp 5/1/07 3:13 PM Page 1

UNDERSTANDINGTHE TRIALS THATTROUBLE US

GGetting through aseason of trouble is a lot like surviving

a roller-coaster ride—exceptthat we do not volunteer fortrouble, and trouble wasnever intended to be fun.

Trouble is filled withstomach-wrenching drops,dips, and sudden curves.And just when we thinkwe’ve caught our breath,we’re dropping again.

If we didn’t know better,we might think that thisroller-coaster ride is arandom experience, thatsomehow the forces that lift us up and push us downare whims of fate.

Thankfully, it’s not arandom ride at all. Thosewho understand the work of God in and through our troubles know that He does not abandon us todisaster. Rather, with all the

strength of His character, Heprovides a well-engineeredsuperstructure that supportsthe process along a carefullyplanned set of tracks andguardrails. Even when theride is too hectic, unsettling,and twisted for us to sensethe presence of His supportand guidance, it’s still there.Our only hope in it all is tostay in the car and findsomething solid to hold onto through every turn of theexperience.

When trouble invadesour comfort zones, twoneeds rise to the top: theneed for understanding (tofind answers to the probingand disturbing questionsthat crowd our minds andsouls) and the need forhealing (to feel better and tofinish the problem). Of thetwo, understanding is thekey to managing theproblem effectively to itsultimate outcome. Withoutthe understanding thatproduces the right answers,

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© 2007 RBC MINISTRIES

there is no sense of directionand no hope in which to feelsecure.

How should we view trouble? The apostleJames used a specific wordfor trouble that leads to ahelpful understanding ofwhat trouble is. The essenceof this word led J. B. Phillipsto paraphrase James 1:2 bysaying that when troublescome, “Don’t resent them asintruders, but welcome themas friends!”

When James wrote,“Consider it all joy, mybrethren, when youencounter various trials”(Jas. 1:2 NASB), his choice ofwords is strategic. The Greekword for trial is a word thatmeans “to examine or testfor the purpose of proving orrevealing something aboutthe thing tested.” It is a testthat reveals something for aspecific purpose.

Of all the things we could say about trials—that they are disappointing,

discouraging, humiliating,uncomfortable, painful, anddisheartening—God seesthem, among other reasons,as tests that reveal our trueselves. It’s a sure thing that in trouble, the real mebecomes apparent quickly.Trouble is revelatory.

Trouble is one of God’sways of examining our lives.When we are on “EasyStreet”—and thank the Lordthat He lets us come up forair periodically—it is hardfor us to know what we arereally like. We can carry ona cosmetic existence andfool ourselves, and mostpeople, about our truenature.

But when trouble hits our lives, what we are reallylike is quickly revealed.Trouble shows our friends,our spouses, our children,and our acquaintances whatwe are like. Even moreunsettling, it forces us tostart seeing ourselves forwhat we really are.

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I am committed to the sanctification process in my life, to becomingincreasingly pure as I growin my walk with God. Yetsanctification is tough, even in situations that arenot life threatening.

Several years ago, when my son was a studentplaying basketball, it was atrial to see him sitting on thebench when he should havebeen playing. A small trial,but a revealing one. Worseyet was what it was likewhen he got into the gameand the referee started toharass him. As I rose out ofmy seat, I began to “expressmyself,” only to feel my wifetug at my coat: “Joe, you’rethe president of MoodyBible Institute,” she wouldremind me. There is much inme that needs to be workedon. More important than the“obvious lack of judgmentby the coach or the referee”was my lack of maturity interms of self-control and

Christlikeness. The pressure of the “trial” during the game gave me a good look at myself andshowed me areas in which I needed to grow.

Without that strategicperspective, we tend to focus on the externalaspects of our problems. Yet if we keep in mind thattrouble is in part intended toreveal the “real me” so thatwe may grow, our focus inpain will move from pity tothe production of God’sglory in and through us.

What good istrouble? Among otherthings, trouble reveals whereI am in the growth processin terms of my conformity tothe image and character ofChrist. It gets me beyondassumptions to reality. Am Ia forgiving person? Am Ikind? Understanding? Just?Loving? Helpful? Patient? Or am I angry, slanderous,self-centered, inflexible,manipulative, weak, and ill-

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equipped to respond to trialscorrectly?

It is helpful to seeourselves as we really are.Trouble reveals that, and itturns the agenda toward thethings in our lives that needto be changed so that wecan grow to be more likeHim—and that, of course, is the purpose of ourredemption (Rom. 8:28-29)and one of God’s purposesin trials (Jas. 1:2-4).

William Coltman waspastor of Highland ParkBaptist Church in Detroit,Michigan, for more than 40 years. He served withdignity through manydifficult times. At one pointin his life he was falselyaccused of moralindiscretion, and his wiferefused to go to church withhim. Each Sunday she leftthe house to attend anotherchurch down the street.

His secretary of manyyears told me that through itall she “never heard him say

a negative word aboutanyone!” In the test, hischaracter was revealed andChrist was glorified.

What are trials anyway?Often they are tests to let usknow where we are in theprocess of growing up inHim.

James 1:2 goes on toqualify the nature of thesetests by saying that “manykinds” of trials will enter ourlives. Knowing what kind oftrouble to expect is a greathelp in being ready to meetthat trouble.

The Scripture speaks ofat least seven different kindsof trouble.

TRIALS OF PLACEAND RACEFirst, and probably mostcommon, are trials of placeand race. Scripture affirmsthat we live in a fallen place.This planet is under the ruleof our adversary, Satan.Earth is his domain. Weare also part of a fallen race.

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Apart from the help of God,all of us are prone to expressour fallenness in many kindsof damaging ways.

We can count on it—living in a fallen place andbeing a part of a fallen raceis going to produce difficulttimes. Originally, this placewas a perfect environmentwhere productive work,fellowship with God, andmorally responsible actionsprovided fulfillment andunhindered joy. But inGenesis 3, sin entered thepicture and raped the scene.The rest of Scripture speaksto the struggle of real peopletrying to live in a fallenplace as part of a fallen race.

The wonderful thingabout the scope of biblicalhistory is that whereas itstarts with a perfect creationand then records the Fall, itends with the gloriousconsummation of all things.One of my all-time favoritepassages in Scripture is inRevelation: “The former

things are passed away. . . .Behold, I make all thingsnew” (Rev. 21:4-5 KJV).What a great hope for us. In that new environmentthere will be no more death,no more tears, no moresorrow, no more pain, nomore crying. But until then,we are a fallen race plantedin a fallen place.

When we were childrenwe played the game “SoBig.” We couldn’t wait togrow up. Then we becameteenagers. We looked in themirror and said, “No way!That can’t be my body!” Ourfaces erupted like volcanoes,we started to become menand women, and we didn’tlike what was happening tous. Then we reached ourthirties, and our bodiesbegan to slow down. Wespent vast sums of money at health spas. Our bodiessagged and wrinkled, andwe started looking for theplastic surgeon.

We look forward to 6



retirement, but our bodieswill retire before we do. Ourback goes out more oftenthan we do. When we leandown to pick something up,we want to stay down to seehow many other things wecan get while we’re there.

Our bodies get sick—andrarely on schedule. Some ofus live in bodies that arediseased. Arthritis, diabetes,and Alzheimer’s diseaseplague many. Death standsready to rob us of those we love in untimely andunsettling ways. It’s a fallenplace, and we’re a fallenrace. Trouble comes with the territory.

Fallen people use,manipulate, and abuse us.Horrific accidents, killertornadoes, and devastatingearthquakes disrupt ourlives. It’s all part of beingplanted on a planetdamaged by the rule ofSatan and sin.

When a trial of place and race impacts our lives,

what ought to be revealed?In 2 Corinthians 12, Paulvaliantly struggles with histhorn in the flesh. He praysthree times that God willremove it from him. But it’sclear that it’s not God’s willthat the thorn should beremoved. It has purpose. So Paul acknowledges the thorn’s presence andrecognizes that it haspurpose. He submits to thetrial without bitterness orblaming God, and claimsthat through his weaknessGod will make him strong.

TRIALS OFTEMPTATIONThe second kind of trial wefind in Scripture is the trialof temptation. In Matthew4:1 we read, “Then Jesuswas led by the Spirit into thedesert to be tempted by thedevil.” Interestingly enough,the same Greek wordsometimes translated by theword trial is translated hereby the word tempted. Satan

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led Christ through thetemptation of the pride oflife and the lust of the flesh.He hit Christ at everyvulnerable point we strugglewith as humans. The Lordcountered His trouble atevery point by a responsefrom Scripture that kept Himunflinchingly loyal to God.

Temptation isunavoidable. It intrudes intothe life of the businessmanon the road, the homemakerin her house, the citizenfilling out income tax forms,and the person who hasbeen hurt by others. We feelthe temptation to strike outin revenge, to gossip, or toslander. These are significanttemptations.

I have a friend in theministry who, after checkinginto his hotel, got on theelevator with two attractiveyoung women. As the doorclosed, one of them said,“Hey, how about a little funwith us tonight?” Whowould know? He later told

me, “It was like God pulled a curtain down in front ofme, and on the curtain wasGalatians 6:8, ‘The one whosows to please his sinfulnature, from that nature willreap destruction.’” He saidno to the women and yes toGod. His relationship to Godwas more important than theseductive pleasure of sin.

When I was a little boy,someone wrote in my Bible,“This book will keep youfrom sin, or sin will keepyou from this book.” In theface of troubling temptation,the power of God’s Word isan indispensable ally. As thepsalmist said, “Thy wordhave I hid in mine heart,that I might not sin againstThee” (Ps. 119:11 KJV).

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The Bible will keep you from sin,or sin will keep you

from the Bible.



TRIALS OFIDENTIFICATIONA third kind of trial that wecan expect is the test ofidentification. In chapters 15 and 17 of John’s gospel,Jesus told His disciples thatthey could expect the worldto be rough on them, as ithad been on Him. Theycould expect to be thrownout of the synagogue, to bedisowned by their families,and, in some cases, even tobe murdered—all becausethey bore His name andwere identified with Hiscause.

History records thatbecause the early churchbroke bread at Communionand said, “This is the bodyof Christ,” the culture of thatday accused them ofcannibalism. Christiansclaimed Communion astheir love feast, and theculture of that day accusedthem of improprieties inthose private observances.In the midst of this pressure,

Peter encouraged thebelievers to persevere. Hewrote to a suffering church,“Live such good lives amongthe pagans that, though theyaccuse you of doing wrong,they may see your gooddeeds and glorify God onthe day He visits us” (1 Pet.2:12). He added:

How is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong andendure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this iscommendable before God.To this you were called,because Christ suffered for you, leaving you anexample, that you shouldfollow in His steps. “Hecommitted no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” When theyhurled their insults atHim, He did not retaliate;when He suffered, Hemade no threats. Instead,He entrusted Himself toHim who judges justly. He

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Himself bore our sins inHis body on the tree, sothat we might die to sinsand live for righteousness;by His wounds you havebeen healed (vv.20-24).Now that America is

becoming more secularized,we can expect trouble in anenvironment increasinglyhostile toward the values ofrighteousness we hold dear.Now more than ever, we as God’s people must beprepared to pass the test oftrials that come because ofour identification withChrist.

Dennis was on the fast track upward with Coxnewspapers, headquarteredin Atlanta, Georgia. He had been the publisher of the Springfield News inSpringfield, Ohio, and hadserved Cox as the publisherof the Dayton Daily Newsin Dayton, Ohio. In bothsettings, he had made thenewspapers he managedprofitable and was well

thought of within thenewspaper community.

As a Christian, Dennisapplied biblical standards of righteousness to thedecisions he made in themarketplace. Some of those decisions related toadvertisements. It’s commonfor newspapers to reservethe right to advertise thingsthey believe are constructivein the community and towithhold advertising forthose things they believe arenot helpful to their businessor to the community atlarge. In light of thatpractice, Dennis eliminatedadvertisements for X-ratedmovies from the Daytonpapers. He also refused to run notices andadvertisements for gay and lesbian groups in thecommunity.

Needless to say, thatdecision brought forth anoutcry from the groupswhose advertisements hadbeen rejected. Yet Dennis

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remained committed to thatwhich was righteous andtrue. The issue went to those in authority over himin Atlanta. Though they had backed him in similardecisions in the past, to hissurprise they said he had torun the ads from the gayand lesbian groups or losehis job.

For Dennis, this was atrial of identification. Hechose rather to identify withChrist than to continue inhis career.

Hebrews 11:24-27 says of Moses:

By faith Moses, when hehad grown up, refused tobe known as the son ofPharaoh’s daughter. Hechose to be mistreatedalong with the people ofGod rather than to enjoythe pleasures of sin for ashort time. He regardeddisgrace for the sake ofChrist as of greater valuethan the treasures ofEgypt, because he was

looking ahead to hisreward. By faith he leftEgypt, not fearing theking’s anger; he perseveredbecause he saw him whois invisible.To stand for Christ and

His values in a hostileenvironment is bound tobring trials into our lives. AsChristians, we must realizethat throughout churchhistory, the church hasusually been planted in ahostile environment. In fact,rarely has the church thrivedin a friendly context. Moreand more, there will be testsinvolving our identity withJesus Christ.

In the midst of trials of identification, the patternof success is to persist inrighteousness, regardless ofthe cost. Peter wrote:

Dear friends, do not besurprised at the painfultrial you are suffering, as though somethingstrange were happening to you. But rejoice that you

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participate in the sufferingsof Christ, so that you maybe overjoyed when Hisglory is revealed. If you are insulted because of thename of Christ, you areblessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God restson you. If you suffer, it should not be as amurderer or thief or anyother kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praiseGod that you bear thatname (1 Pet. 4:12-16). Christians need to remain

strong and demonstratefaithful perseverance in atest of identification.

TRIALS OFDISCIPLINEThere are also trials ofdiscipline. We need someclarification here. As notedearlier, not all difficulty inour lives is God’s discipline.When difficulty impacts us,

we are prone to think thatGod is chastising us. Thatmay not be true. We may beexperiencing a trial of placeand race or a trial oftemptation or a test ofidentification. But if it isdiscipline, it will be difficult.In discipline God seeks tonudge our lives back topaths of righteousness.

Note the differencebetween punishment anddiscipline. Punishment is justice. Discipline iscorrective. There is a vastdifference between the two.There is not one trouble thatGod brings into our lives asbelievers that is punishment.Sin was punished on thecross. We are not in doublejeopardy. Every sin that Ihave committed or willcommit or am committinghas been punished. Justicewas meted out at the cross.But the corrective disciplineof God comes along withsovereign nudges that inflictjust enough pressure to alert

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me to the problem and toget me back on the track of righteousness.

Proverbs 3:11-12 states,“My son, do not despise theLord’s discipline and do notresent His rebuke, becausethe Lord disciplines thoseHe loves, as a father the sonhe delights in.” Hebrews 12says that if you feel Goddisciplining you, rejoice. It’sa sign of sonship. If Hedoesn’t discipline you, you are not His child. Iunderstand that kind of talk.

I don’t know how manytimes I’ve been in situationswhere I have wanted to puta little corrective pressure onsomeone else’s child. But Ihad no right. The child wasnot my son or daughter. But with regard to my ownchildren, not only do I havethe right to “encourage”them into right paths whenthey get derailed, I have the responsibility, thestewardship as a parent, to do just that.

How are we to respond to trials of discipline? By notresisting them. They comefrom a loving Father, and weneed to open our hearts tothese trials so that the Lordmight correct us throughthem and put us on the right path.

There are manyillustrations of this kind of trial in Scripture, but Ican’t resist going to the OldTestament prophet Jonah.The word of God came tothe prophet: “Jonah, I wantyou to go to Nineveh.” Andhe immediately said no.

What would God do? He needed somebody to go to Nineveh, but theprophet had just said he was not going—and wason his way somewhere else.In fact, Jonah was down inthe hold of the ship, soundasleep. Discipline was God’s response, sovereignlynudging Jonah back towardobedience, back towardNineveh.

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Some of us say toourselves, If I sin, I won’t feelany peace. And I feel peace,so it must be all right. Yetmany times we have sorationalized our way into sin that we feel quitepeaceful about it. Jonah’snap demonstrates thatemotional peace is not abarometer of righteousness.

Jonah was so much atpeace that he slept all theway through a storm. Godhad sent that storm to wakehim up and bring him to hissenses. But he kept sleeping.So God sent the captain ofthe ship down to see him.Sovereign nudge numbertwo. The pagan ship captainshook Jonah and said,“Wake up! And pray to yourGod!” So Jonah got up andwent to the deck of the ship.There the sailors were trying to find out who wasresponsible for their trouble.

They cast lots and gaveeverybody a number,including Jonah. As that

ship tossed and turnedunder the delicate, sovereignhand of God, the lots werecast on the windsweptdeck—and wouldn’t youknow it, the lots pointed toJonah. “Tell us,” the sailorscried, “who is responsiblefor making all this troublefor us? What do you do?Where do you come from?What is your country? From what people are you?” (Jon. 1:8).

He had to give atestimony. “He answered, ‘Iam a Hebrew and I worshipthe Lord, the God of heaven,who made the sea and theland’ ” (v.9).

You’d think that by thistime Jonah ought to bedropping to his knees—right? No. The troubleincreased. “So they askedhim, ‘What should we do toyou to make the sea calmdown for us?’ ” (v.11).

Jonah could have said,“I’ll pray and repent, andyour problem will be over.”

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But Jonah replied, “Pick meup and throw me into thesea . . . and it will becomecalm. I know that it is myfault that this great stormhas come upon you” (v.12).Jonah was saying, “I wouldrather die than obey God.”Finally, in desperation, the sailors chucked himoverboard. Now Jonah hadwon. God had nudged himand nudged him, and yet hehad stubbornly maintainedhis sinful choice.

But when it comes todiscipline, God has optionswe’ve never dreamed of. Justwhen Jonah thought he hadwon, God said to a greatfish, “Do you see that boat?I want you to swim next to it, and when you see asplash, that’s lunch.” Jonahlived 3 days and 3 nights inthat underwater hotel. Hewrestled with God untilfinally, after 3 days ofdevastating discipline, hesaid, “God, You win.”

We can expect that when

we sin, God will love usenough to keep working tobring us back to the courseof righteousness. “The Lorddisciplines those He loves”(Heb. 12:6). And althoughthis discipline is sometimestough and troublesome, Hedoes it because He loves usenough to keep us on safeand successful paths.

Passing the test of discipline demandscooperation with God.When I was a boy, we used to like to wrestle to see whose young male egocould be affirmed. As littlekids, we’d get a guy down,sit on top of him, and puthim in a full nelson until he said one liberating word:“Uncle!”

And that’s how werespond to God. A trial ofdiscipline is intended to getour stubborn wills to say,“All right! Uncle! I’m yours.I repent and will gladly walkin righteousness.”

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TRIALS OFCONSEQUENCEFOR SINThere are also trials that are the consequence for sin.Chuck Swindoll says it sowell: “We teach our children1 John 1:9, ‘If we confessour sins, He is faithful andjust and will forgive us oursins and purify us from allunrighteousness,’ whichmay tempt them to coast on grace.” He goes on to say that “if we teach them 1 John 1:9, we must alsoteach them Galatians 6:8,‘The one who sows to please his sinful nature,from that nature will reapdestruction.’”

Some of our trouble is adirect consequence of willfulsin in our lives. Sin alwaysbrings consequences.Nobody is exempt. No oneis clever enough, no one issubtle enough, no one isintelligent enough to sin andnot bear its consequences.“Be self-controlled and alert.

Your enemy the devil prowlsaround like a roaring lionlooking for someone todevour” (1 Pet. 5:8). In the Old Testament we read,“There is a way that seemsright to a man, but in theend it leads to death” (Prov.14:12). Sin always bringsdespair and trouble. Evenlong after we are forgiven,the consequences mayremain. Some will not beremoved until that finalglorious day of redemption.

Paul, having murderedChristians, couldn’t shakethe memories. In the firstchapter of 1 Timothy hecalls himself the worst of sinners. Yet he used that consequence as aspringboard to worship and praise.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and apersecutor and a violentman, I was shown mercybecause I acted inignorance and unbelief.The grace of our Lord

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was poured out on meabundantly, along withthe faith and love that arein Christ Jesus. Here is atrustworthy saying thatdeserves full acceptance:Christ Jesus came into theworld to save sinners—ofwhom I am the worst. Butfor that very reason I wasshown mercy so that inme, the worst of sinners,Christ Jesus might displayHis unlimited patience asan example for those whowould believe on Him andreceive eternal life. Now to the King eternal,immortal, invisible, theonly God, be honor andglory for ever and ever.Amen (1 Tim. 1:13-17). The troubling and

sometimes lifelongconsequences of sin oughtto motivate and remind usof its awfulness so that we say, “God, this dailyconsequence reminds me ofYour amazing grace to love,forgive, forget, and receive

me.” It ought to be, as well,a protective shield to help us not to risk the path of sinagain. And, significantly, itought to make us take thefocus of our hearts off thisfleeting, fallen world and livefor that grand and gloriousday of redemption when all things will become new(Rev. 21:1-4).

First John 3:2 proclaims:“Dear friends, now we arechildren of God, and whatwe will be has not yet beenmade known. But we knowthat when He appears, weshall be like Him, for weshall see Him as He is.” I love this verse. Take heart. The consequencesoon will pass. When Hecomes and we meet Himface to face, it will all benew. Consequences, even in our tears and brokenness,can result in praise andglory and a deepening lovefor God and His appearinginstead of a heart souredand angry with Him.

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TRIALS OF DISPLAYThe sixth kind of trouble wemight face is the trial ofdisplay. God permits thiskind of trial to come into our lives to enable us todisplay something for Himthrough our trauma.

God came to Abrahamand said, “Take your son,your only son, Isaac, whomyou love, and go to theregion of Moriah. Sacrificehim there as a burnt offeringon one of the mountains Iwill tell you about” (Gen.22:2).

Quite frankly, when Ihear that God asked for achild sacrifice, it troubles myspirit. I don’t like to thinkthat my God is like that. Butwe have to look at thecontext. In this particularinstance, Abraham is livingin the land of theCanaanites, where thehighest form of commitmentto their gods of wood andstone was taking theirchildren and sacrificing

them to their pagan god.Offering the blood of theirchildren was the pinnaclestatement of obedience totheir god.

I believe that God wassaying to Abraham, “Are youwilling to display your lovefor Me, the true and theliving God, as much as thesepagans are to their gods?” Ithink there was somethingeven more significant in thistrial, this test in Abraham’slife. Isaac was the gift Godhad given to Abraham. Hewas the miracle baby. Isaac was the whole reasonAbraham left Ur of theChaldees to become apilgrim in the land of theCanaanites. Genesis 12:1-2,the passage that gives God’scommand to Abraham toleave Ur, is an earlyprophetic statement of thecoming of Christ: “The Lordhad said to Abram, ‘Leaveyour country, your peopleand your father’s householdand go to the land I will

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show you. I will make youinto a great nation and I willbless you; I will make yourname great, and you will bea blessing.’ ”

Years went by, andAbraham and Sarah werepast childbearing age. Then,suddenly, miraculously, Godgave them the gift of thisboy. Abraham loved Isaac. I believe God was askingAbraham, “Do you love thegift more than the Giver?”

God often marches intoour lives and threatenssomething precious to us—something He has given us.A child, a house, a spouse, acareer. How do we respond?Do we display through ourresponse that we love theGiver more than the gift?

I root for the DetroitTigers and remain a loyalfan in good times, andmostly bad. During baseballseason, every morning Iopen up the newspaper tosee where the Tigers standin the American League

Central. God opens thenewspaper of our lives tosee whether He is still firstor if something hasdisplaced Him. Only youknow. You may be asked togive that answer through atrial of display.

Abraham wakes up hisboy on that morning, andthey walk for 3 days.Abraham has a long time tochange his mind, to flunkthe test. He has 3 wholedays of walking to say,“God, you’re not first. Isaacis first in my life.” And hewalks 3 days, builds thealtar, lays down his son—and now the marvelousstatement of what kind ofGod our God is. God says,“Wait! That’s all! That’s all!”Genesis 22:12 puts it thisway: “Do not lay a hand on the boy . . . . Do not doanything to him. Now Iknow that you fear God,because you have notwithheld from Me your son, your only son.”

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Trials of display areintended to be a platformwhere God’s power can beclearly seen. Such is thecase with the man bornblind (Jn. 9:1-3).

As He went along, [Jesus]saw a man blind frombirth. His disciples askedHim, “Rabbi, who sinned,this man or his parents,that he was born blind?”“Neither this man nor hisparents sinned,” saidJesus, “but this happenedso that the work of Godmight be displayed in hislife.”The blind man’s trouble

had nothing to do with theconsequence of sin. Hisblindness was, instead, aplatform upon which theglory and power of Godcould be seen. I oftenwonder what works of Godare displayed in the midst of my trouble? Forgiveness,kindness, patience, grace?Or is my trouble a platformfor Satan’s agenda?

TRIALS OF BROKENEXPECTATIONSThe last kind of trial is thetrial of broken expectations.You and I need to rememberthat one of the greatestdifficulties we have in life is dealing with expectationsthat never come to pass. In fact, most counselors will tell you that muchdepression comes from the disappointment overbroken expectations.

When we get married, wehave expectations. Newlymarried husbands expect alot of things from theirwives. And she has a wholelist of expectations for him.He is expecting her to pickup after him, preparewonderful meals, care forthe brood, exhibit socialgraces, work like a “strongbull at home,” have the kidscorralled, set a beautifultable with sterlingcandlesticks, have hisfavorite meal ready for himwhen he comes home, and

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after the meal—while hereads the paper—finish thework in the kitchen, put thekids to bed, and then be atiger in the bedroom.

She has her list as well. He will be sensitive,understanding, and hang onevery word uttered from herlips. He will keep her securefinancially and spiritually,and she will always look athim as the rock of her life.He will help around thehouse and expect nothing ofher when she is exhausted.

One of the greatproblems in marriage occurs after the first fewweeks, when we realize that there is somethingwrong with those lists ofexpectations. That’s whenthe trouble begins. None of us likes to have ourdreams dashed.

On one occasion whenour children were verysmall, they asked, “Dad, will you take us to the circus Tuesday night?” Not

wanting to appear cruel andinsensitive, I said, “Maybe.”Which to their minds wasyes. If you are a parent, or if you ever become one,know that anything short ofan absolute, nonnegotiable,white-knuckled, teeth-clenched “NO!” is still apossibility. I said maybe and forgot about it.

I still remember cominghome that Tuesday night.The kids were all excited.“Dad’s home! Tonight’s thenight!”

“What’s tonight?” I said. “The circus! Remember?” “Oh,” I said, “we’re not

going to the circus.” They said, “Okay. No

problem,” and danced offmerrily to do something else. Not a chance! Theywere crushed.

Broken expectations are a leading source ofdiscouragement anddespondency. The mostinstructive passage I knowabout expectations is in

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Philippians 1. It’s the report that Paul files withthe church in Philippi abouthis time in Rome. In thisreport he notes that he isimprisoned (v.13), that someof the Roman believers areenvious and spiteful towardhim (v.15), and that Neromay decree that his life betaken (vv.19-24).

This has the makings for a lot of discouragement.What fascinates me is thatin the midst of this trial ofexpectations, he is victoriousand ecstatic. How? Theanswer is given in verse 20:

[It is] my earnestexpectation and hope, that I will not be put toshame in anything, butthat with all boldness,Christ will even now, asalways, be exalted in mybody, whether by life or by death (NASB).Paul had one expectation

in life. It wasn’t to be thepremier apostle. Nor was itto be well liked by brothers

and sisters in Christ. Itwasn’t even to be given alonger life in which to serveChrist. Those were not his expectations. His oneexpectation was that Christbe magnified through him.He sought to demonstratethe quality, character, andagenda of Christ—regardlessof his situation in life.

Rejecting comfort,pleasure, health, wealth,and peace as our primaryexpectations in life andplacing as our number onepriority reflecting Christ willnot only direct us towardHis glory but also help usbypass much trouble.

So, what can we expect from trouble? We can expecttrouble to reveal ourselvesas we really are and to comein at least seven differentforms. And we can alsoexpect trouble to elicit aresponse. The pivotal issueis what kind of response itwill be.

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RESPONDING TO TRIALS

IIf trouble is inevitable—and it is—then the otherinevitability is that we

will indeed respond to it.But how will we

respond? We can respondpassively, fearfully, inwardly,assertively, philosophically,manipulatively. Whentrouble interrupts us, thereare a host of options.

Out of all the possibleresponses, one rises to thetop. That strategic responseis vital if we’re to make it through. It is, in fact,nonnegotiable if we’re togrow in character andcompetency and to bringglory to God’s reputation.

It is the commitment to respond to trouble by“consider[ing] it pure joy”(Jas. 1:2). Through ourbrokenness and tears, our hearts insist that it’simpossible! Yet considering it pure joy is both possible

and, when applied,productive. In fact, resisting this choice willderail progress and deependespair.

THE NECESSITY OF CONTROLLINGOUR RESPONSEWhen James writes,“Consider it pure joy, mybrothers, whenever you facetrials of many kinds” (Jas.1:2), he is referring to anarena we can control. Thetiming, depth, complexity,and duration of trouble arefor the most part beyond our control. What is in ourcontrol is the way werespond.

An important goal introuble is to respond in away that minimizes long-term regrets. I recallstanding by the casket withthe parents of a son whohad died in his twenties. Iheard them say somethingthat made a markedimpression on my heart.

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They said, “We’ve notalways been perfect parents, but we have noregrets. We enjoyed our life with him, and heenjoyed his relationship with us.” What a wonderfulcommentary to come to theend of a relationship and torealize that while it wasn’tperfect, there are no regrets.

THE RESULT OF ARIGHT RESPONSERight responses in the midstof trouble always minimizeregrets. One of the primarygoals in moving throughtrouble successfully is to go through it in such a waythat you can look back andrealize that you did yourbest to respond properly andare not ashamed of how youmanaged the aspects thatwere in your control.

The story of Judas inScripture is a fascinating andinstructive tale of a life ofwrong responses that endedup in the depths of regret.

Because Judas was given the responsibility ofbeing the treasurer for thedisciples, it’s obvious that he was trusted by them. Sowhen Jesus said that one ofthe disciples seated at thetable during the Last Supperwould betray Him, it neveroccurred to anyone that Hewas referring to Judas. Evenafter Jesus clearly indicatedthe identity of His betrayerand told him to get on with his plan, none of thedisciples understood whomChrist meant. They thoughtthat when Judas left theroom he was going to buysomething for the Passoverfeast or give money to thepoor (Jn. 13:21-30).

Yet, in retrospect andunder the inspiration of theHoly Spirit, John tells usthat underneath it all, Judaswas addicted to greed andpersonal gain and thatindeed he was a thief andwould often steal from thetreasury that he controlled

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(Jn. 12:6). No doubt hisdreams were that whenChrist established Hiskingdom, he would be thetreasurer and ultimatelybecome a wealthy man.

Interestingly enough, it was right after Jesusannounced that He wasgoing to the cross and would not be establishing an earthly kingdom thatJudas left the disciples andtraded the head of Christ for money—30 pieces ofsilver. It’s as though he saidto himself, “Now that myprospect of greater riches isgone, at least I can get 30pieces of silver out of thisdeal.”

What’s significant is thatJudas was more committedto his own comfort and ease than he was to goingthrough difficulty in hisidentification with Christ, a trial that Christ predictedall the disciples wouldexperience.

Judas’ option for

what seemed to be thecomfortable way out was a response that filled theremainder of his life withregret, regret so deep that he couldn’t live with himself.Matthew reports that afterJudas betrayed Jesus and “saw that Jesus wascondemned,” his heart wasfilled with sorrow (27:3).

Those 30 pieces of silverburned a hole in Judas’heart as they rattled in hisbag. They became a symbolof his sorrow and a reminderof his regret. So deep washis regret that he went backto the Jewish leaders andthrew the money at theirfeet. Then he went out and hanged himself. Theresponse that had seemedthe easiest, the most natural,and the most comfortable,that seemed to be exactlyright and appropriate, endedup being the response thatled Judas to the depths ofdespair.

As a pastor, I’ve been 25



through several buildingprograms. Of the things I’ve learned through thatexperience, number one isthat you let the decoratingcommittee do what it wantsto do. It’s much easier thatway. In one of the churchesI pastored, my secretary was bolder than I was. Thecommittee thought we oughtto have blue carpetingthroughout the officecomplex. She did not like or want blue carpeting. Shewent head to head with thedecorating committee overthe issue and finally won.Her office would have beige,earth tones on the floor.

Just before the projectwas to be implemented,however, she walked intomy office and said, “Pastor,I’ve decided to have bluecarpeting in my office.” Iwas shocked. She went onto say, “I realized last nightthat if I have my way on thiscarpeting, every time I walkinto the office the carpet

will be a reminder of mystubbornness.”

Our response to a crisiswill lead us either to reap aharvest of regrets that etchthemselves on our minds aslifelong reminders of poorchoices, or to reap the joy ofknowing that we chose thebiblically correct response.Though the crisis may havebeen painful, we have theprivilege of knowing thatthrough it all we did ourbest, that our conscience is clear. Regardless of theoutcome, we didn’t do thingsthat deepened our distressby accumulating symbols ofsorrow through our sinfulchoices.

Productive responses are the responses that areoutlined in God’s Word. Intimes of crisis, we need tofight through the baggage of our feelings, instinctiveresponses, advice from well-meaning friends, and pastresponse patterns to checkin with God to see what

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He believes would beappropriate. Imagine beingfaced with a crisis andpausing—eyes glazed over a bit—only to hear someoneask, “What are you doing?”You respond, “Checking mybiblical data bank to findout how to respond.”

That’s how the processbegins.

THE JOY OF OUR RESPONSEHow then should werespond? Although there are specific patterns ofresponse relating to issues of forgiveness, compassion,mercy, understanding,justice, and patience, onegeneral command fits everycase. It is God’s commandto consider every trial to be a thing of joy.

Initially, that seemsunreasonable becausetrouble does not feel joyous. In fact, trouble and emotional joy areincompatible.

If we are to respondconstructively, we mustunderstand that James 1:2does not tell us to feel joy.For that we can be thankful.It’s impossible for us tomanipulate our emotions.Emotions are a result ofcircumstances, bodychemistry, how we haveslept, what we havedreamed, or even what wemay have eaten the nightbefore. When I’m not feelingright about things, I don’thave a joy button that I canpress and suddenly feelwonderful. For the mostpart, emotions come and goand are often dictated bycircumstances of life. Andalthough we are usually able to keep our emotions in check, it’s impossible tochange them dramatically.

Emotions are the baggagethat comes with our trouble.They were never intended todirect our response. Theycome along for the ride. The emotions we feel are

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legitimate and normal.Feeling guilty about feelingdown is unnecessary andwrong. Even Jesus wept.

What’s right, however, is that we can’t permit our feelings to dictate how we respond. If you havetraveled through themountains, you may haveseen ramps for runawaytrucks. They are for driverswho have lost their brakesand are dangerouslycareening down the road out of control. At that point,their trucks are driven by theweight of their baggage. It’s adisaster waiting to happen.Letting our emotions dictateour actions is like letting thebaggage do the driving.

It’s in our choices thatour lives should be directedto a productive end. Whenwe understand what theword consider means, itbecomes clear that James isspeaking of a nonemotionalchoice in this text. Amongother things, the word

consider is an accountingterm for reckoning items one to another. In fact, someScripture versions use theword reckon in the place of consider. At any rate, it’s clearly a word that deals with cognitive, mental, volitional activity as opposed to emotionalfeelings. The text requiresthat when pain penetratesmy existence I need toimmediately, mentally,reckon that pain to be athing of ultimate joy.

Since in the originallanguage the word consider isused in accounting contexts,we can think of our minds asa ledger book with differentcolumns we can use torecord our response whendifficulty crosses our path.Our response to difficultymight be to pick up thepencil of our mentalnotebook and put a check in the self-pity column,wondering why this ishappening again and

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why we’re always havingdifficulty. So we throw a pityparty for ourselves andwallow in the despair of“woe is me.” That’s one type of mental response.

There’s another columnthat is often checked—thecolumn of blame. We mighttry to figure out who is toblame for our problem (ofcourse we never are) andput a check in the blamecolumn, as we seek to putoff any feelings of personalresponsibility for the messwe’re in.

Or we may put a check in the column of revenge.I’m amazed at how creativewe can be when it comes tocarrying out revenge againstothers who have hurt us.There’s a column forwithdrawal. There is a life-is-unfair column. There arecolumns for bitterness andguilt. But there’s also acolumn for joy. Scripturedemands that we move allthe way across the ledger

page until we come to thecolumn labeled joy andmentally make a checkmarkindicating our belief that, inthe hand of God, what hashappened will ultimately bea cause for joy.

THE CONTENT OFOUR RESPONSEJames 1:2-5 points to thefact that this is not simplemental gymnastics or thepower of positive thinking toget us through. This “joy”response has real content.

The end of the passagemakes it clear that if weprocess pain correctly, it will, in the end, bring us to completion in terms ofcharacter and equip us to be completed in good works in the ongoing days of our lives. God will use ourtrouble to produce characterand competency in our lives.That is the joy factor.

What Hebrews says of Jesus and His sufferingshould not go unnoticed:

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“Let us fix our eyes onJesus, . . . who for the joyset before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2).

Counting trouble a thingof joy does not require thatwe feel happy about ourdifficulties but that weunderstand that ultimatelyand finally God’s good handwill make the experienceworthy of joyful praise andthanksgiving. This mentaloutlook keeps our focus noton the moment of pain buton the culmination of theprocess.

What enables us torespond positively? The joy response is fortified bywhat we know to be true in the midst of trouble.

James 1:3 speaks to theprocess of the joy responseby saying, “because youknow.” That statementdirectly ties our ability tocount our difficulty anultimate thing of joy to whatwe know to be absolutelytrue. There is a tremendous

advantage that believershave when they face troublebecause of the truths thatare logged in their mindbefore the trouble comes.

There are times whentrouble puts us in such deepdespair that our capacity tolearn through it is almostnonexistent. Logging theright kind of knowledge inadvance is greatly beneficialin light of the inevitability oftough times in our lives.

The success of thePersian Gulf War is likelyattributable to the fact thatour pilots were well trainedbefore they actually facedbattle. As one militarycommander observed, thegeneration raised on videogames was able to takecontrol of sophisticatedequipment that requiredgood eye-hand coordinationand accurate timing. Whenthe conflict came, they werewell prepared in the skills itrequired.

Knowledge, whether 30



learned in the midst oftrouble or logged inadvance, is that commoditythat remains certain in themidst of changing emotionsand circumstances. It’s likean anchor firmly secured in bedrock that keeps thestorm-tossed ship from being blown onto rocks.

One of my all-timefavorite sports memories is of the final hockey gameplayed in the 1980 WinterOlympics in Lake Placid,New York. The Americanteam, made up for the mostpart of amateur players fromcolleges and universities,were facing Scandinavianand Eastern Bloc teamscomposed of seasonedveterans who had given theirlives to the state to preparefor and to compete in theOlympic matches. TheAmericans seemed to beoutmatched. And becausethe Olympics came at a timewhen the spirit of Americanswas at an all-time low, there

was little to cheer about.Yet the American team

persisted and won gameafter game. I came homefrom church on the Sundaythat our boys were playingthe Russians and turned thetelevision on and noted,much to my surprise, thatthough the match was morethan half over, we wereplaying head to head withthe Russians. I sat downand could hardly move. Iwatched with anxiety as ourmen skated and flinchedevery time the Russianscocked their stocks to makea shot. I relaxed in reliefwhen I saw that they hadn’tscored. It was an agonizing,white-knuckle, tight-stomachspectator event for me and for many others whowatched across the country.

Then, in the finalmoments, it became obvious that we would beat the Russians. It seemedimpossible. It seemed sowonderful. We at last had

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something to cheer about.We had done it.

That night after church,the network decided toreplay the hockey game. Weinvited some friends over toenjoy the game with us. I satback in my easy chair, aglass of Pepsi in my handand a bowl of popcorn onmy lap. I was relaxed, calm,and enjoying every momentof the very same game—nowhitened knuckles, no tightstomach. What made thedifference? What I knew.What I knew to be true! The outcome was secure.

What we know to be true, regardless of thespecific trouble we are goingthrough, is the foundationupon which we canaccurately, reasonably,intelligently, and confidentlygo to the joy column on ourledger page and put a checkin the appropriate place.

What is it that we can know to enable us to respond positively in

trouble? In James 1:3-4, weare told that we can know“that the testing of [our]faith develops perseverance”and that “perseverance must finish its work so that[we] may be mature andcomplete, not lackinganything.” In other words,we can know that pain is a process with a purpose. And that specific piece ofknowledge will enable us torespond to our various trialswith joy.

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hThis booklet is excerpted from The Upside Of Down by Joe Stowell,which is published by DiscoveryHouse Publishers, a member of the RBC Ministries family. Joe served for 18 years as the presidentof Moody Bible Institute. Currentlyhe is Teaching Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. He is alsopartnering with RBC MInistries inradio, writing, and televisionproductions.

If this booklet has been helpful toyou, check out Joe’s ministry onlineat www.getmorestrength.org for hisweekly thought-provoking messagesor his “Daily Strength” devotionals.



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