A lot of people turn to Christianity when they're hurting because it gives hope. Likewise, many people turn from Christianity when they're hurting because they have this misguided view that a "Christian's life" should be perfect and without pain because they claim to know Jesus.
I don't have the answers or the arguments for those people right now, but I do have something relevant.
In reading through Psalms these last few weeks, I've noticed the extreme ups and downs David goes through as he writes. I have identified in his pain and rejoiced in his prosperity. I think what I like most about this is that it shows the absolute humanness of David. It puts him on my level. He becomes relative through his human life.
In Psalm 38 verses 9-11 David pours his aching heart out to God. He's in such distress and feels that his friends and family have even given up on him. His internal pain just seems so unbearable. But just 4 verses later (verse 15) he professes his belief in God by saying that he trust that God will help (answer) him and that He is waiting for God's help.
This blows me away for a couple of reasons. David's pain and troubles make him very relative rather than just a "Bible character." And when people are in pain, they tend to only see their pain - nothing else. And the fact that David is describing his lament one minute but trusting and waiting on God the next seems so unlikely for a selfish human being to do. But that's what I love about it. David was a real man seeking God. And David had real sins, real problems, real pain. But he still looked to God. He never let the pain of sin and life take his eyes off his savior. And that to me is admirable. That gives me hope for ME.
The other thing I love about David is that when God did answer him and help him, He always gave credit to whom it was due. I think that so many times in our Christian walk, things are looking bright for us and we lose sight of the fact that they look so bright because of Jesus. We want to focus on the fact that we obey all the rules and we are good people and we have made such a good life, oh yay me. When in reality, everything good in us is because of Jesus.
It's so sad to me that it is so easy for us to lose sight of how desperately we need Jesus when things are going right in life. Life is so fabulous and we don't need God or even think about Him until someone close to us dies or we have a huge test or we're in financial trouble. As soon as something insanely bad is happening we remember that we need Him or we blame Him. The thought hurts my heart so deeply.
Christianity isn't a crutch. You can't pick it up when it benefits you. There are a lot of fakers out there but don't let them fool you. Christianity is all or nothing, It's a relationship, similar to a marriage. You're in or you're out, there's no "half way." You truly believe or you truly don't - pretending doesn't count. Attending church doesn't meet the requirements. Believing is the only way to Heaven and a relationship with Jesus is the only hope of a fulfilling life, even in the hard times.
That's what David had. A relationship with God. That's what takes David from being a simple sinner like the rest of us to someone we read about in the Bible and look up to. The relationship David had with God makes him seem not so relative to us anymore. But the best part of this is that we are capable of everything David was. We are just like him. Simple, sinners. But we become capable of so much more when we pursue an incredible relationship with God. He had a relationship that was so close that he felt completely comfortable spilling his aches and pains and fears to a holy God. A relationship where he completely trusted God's timing. A relationship that acknowledged the greatness of the God he served and uplifted and praised Him at all times, not just the good times. And we can have it too.
God sees your pain. He knows you're hurting. He has a plan and all you have to do is call on Him and trust His timing. You might still view the Bible as something that doesn't relate to you at all but in all reality, if you'd give it half a chance and read it - really READ it, not just pick a "popular" verse from here or there - you'd see that everything you deal with in your everyday, ordinary life is paralleled in this incredible love letter from our incredible God. Life won't always be easy to understand or explain, but we do have hope through our amazing God. And you have access to that hope if you choose to accept it.
Out of everything I've learned in the last few years, the most important thing I've kept with me is that it's ALL about Jesus. And if it's all about Jesus, the smartest thing you'll EVER do in life is to take Him up on His offer to have a personal relationship with you.
Get in the Bible and get to know Him like David did.
You'd be stupid not to.
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