Have you ever thought about asking God what the hardest thing He has ever had to do? I find it to be one of those thoughts that seems easy to answer, until you begin to really mull it over. How do you think He would answer?
Go ahead... get a sheet of paper out and write down 3 of your top ideas.
Here is my list:
1. Sending His Son, Jesus, to become our sin and to die in our place.
2. Having to tell someone, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."
3. Disciplining one of His children after warning them time and time again of their destructive behaviors.
Now, hear me out...I am fully aware that God is God...He is omnipotent, holy, pure, and He cannot lie. He is full of love, grace, compassion, and long suffering. He rules and reigns with righteousness and justice and His throne is the Mercy Seat. There is much theology tucked away into this one little question and I do not desire to make God fit into my tiny human box. However, you must know this about me...I love asking hard questions that do not have clear-cut answers. I love navigating through questions in a creative manner by asking 50 more questions to the question. If you have ever had a biblical conversation with me, you know that it is like one of those activity pages for children where they have to connect the dots through finding the next number...for me, I am simply finding the next dot and then the next one and the next one and so forth. Unfortunately, after the 5th dot, most people are yawning and are having a "brain-overload". So stick with me!! I have two more question for you...
What is the hardest thing you have ever had to do/doing?
On the same sheet of paper, write down your response(s)
And again, if you are like me, I do not just have one answer. I have many. Here are just a few of my answers:
1. I had to come to the end of myself and hear some hard truths from Jesus
2. For the time being, I have lost someone very special in my life
3. Being away from my dog... (what?? It is hard! And plus, we need some humor somewhere!)
4. Surrendering daily...dying daily
5. Writing a blog (that's right... this is harder than my college soccer days).
Most of you are probably doing hard things each day. Whether that is fighting against health issues, supporting a parent/spouse/child who has a drug addiction and cannot get it "right", battling through the grieving of losing a loved one, starting college for the first time, and/or stepping into a new season of the unknown. Whatever it is, these places are full of gray spots. So here is the last question:
What makes this season so hard for you?
You know the drill by now... time to get vulnerable and write it out
My challenge to you is to be honest...with yourself and with God. Write or talk about the things that hurt like hell...the things that you do not understand...the questions that continue to go unanswered. Why is it healthy to do this? Because it is completely biblical to lament, grieve, shout, question, and talk in an honest and vulnerable way with the Lord. The only way that the Lord can heal issues, wounds, and hurts begins with honesty. In my experience with The Lord, I have found my life to be most fruitful when I am willing to be honest with Him along with hear His honesty to me. It is a two-way conversation. Think about all of the people who chose to be honest with Jesus...Zacchaeus, Peter, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, Martha and Mary when their brother Lazarus died. All of these people, full of emotion, were honest. And all of these people were willing to hear the truthful words of Jesus as well.
Today, maybe you need to be reminded that your honesty is beautiful. Maybe you need to hear someone say that Jesus had to do really hard things as well. He was tempted in every way that we are...He was neglected and abandoned by his siblings and his disciples...He was completely ridiculed by the masses...and He also took on all of your diseases, shame, sin, and transgressions. He became you on the cross so that you could be healed and made whole. Above all of this, He did this so that the Father would be glorified in Heaven and on earth. And I would say that is hard.
I do not know what the hardest thing God has ever had to do. You should ask Him. Maybe He will answer and say that nothing is too hard for Him. But I also think you should ask Him the questions:
Will You meet me today in my hard things?
Will You give to me grace, wisdom, and peace even if there are no answers?
Will you give to me a willing heart to surrender?
I think it is easy for Him to answer those questions and requests.
You are loved.
By Grace,
Cortney Rae