God's Goal In Trials

Your son has been aiming to play for his high school’s basketball team since he was in middle school. He has labored diligently, practicing much on his own, lifting in the weight room, attending summer camps. At one of these summer camps a college coach talked to him about coming to his school and playing for him. Your son was flattered by the praise—which helped build an expectation that he would be a starter on his high school team. But today your son has just been informed by his coach that he will not be starting in the team’s first game. In fact, at best, he will be the third person off the bench. What do you say to your dejected son?

In my last post we looked at Jesus’ words about the inevitability of storms—no one lives in Eden anymore. So how can your son weather his storm? Jesus gave a rather simple formula for staying upright in the storms: Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Hearing and acting on Scripture will prevent your son from being knocked down by this squall.

So what Words does your son need to hear and begin to practice? James is a good place to begin: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (1:2,3) Your son needs to acknowledge that his storm is a test of his faith. His job is to hang on, being encouraged that God cares enough about him to design a special test for him. In this test, God is asking him, “Will you trust me?”

What is your son trusting God to do? It is not to make him a starter. It is not to win him a scholarship. God’s work in this trial is to make your son mature and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4)  This storm is designed to add character to your son. God makes that a rock solid promise--if your son will trust him.

Warning: Severe Storms Predicted

Robert Griffin III is an unusually gifted young man. In high school he was a three sport star. His senior year he led his football team to the Texas Class 4A championship  game. In track, Griffin broke state records for the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles. As a junior, he was rated the nation’s No. 1 high school 400-meter intermediate hurdler. At Baylor University his success continued as he won the starting position at quarterback his freshman year and after his junior year won the coveted Heisman Trophy.

Griffin’s achievements were not confined to the athletics. He was senior class president and ranked seventh academically in his class. While at Baylor he compiled a 3.67 GPA and earned his political science degree in just three years.

After graduation Griffin’s storybook life continued. He Was drafted by the Washington Redskins and signed a $21 million contract. His first year in the NFL (2012) he set a record for the highest passer rating for a rookie quarterback and led the Redskins into the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

But since that rookie year, and especially this year, Griffin has struggled. Battling injuries and poor performances, he was replaced in the starting lineup. Listen to his coaches’ comments:

·     “In the games he's played, our production has been awful.”

·     “Very raw. Very raw." (The coach’s evaluation of his progress over the past three years.)

·     “He's auditioned long enough. Clock's ticking. He's gotta play.”

·         "His biggest thing, he's been coddled for so long.”

·         "We just want him to stop talking and play. He has to outperform all the antics."

Suppose your son is a fan of RG III--what would you say to him?   Jesus informs us that all homes are battered by storms: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house.” (Matt.7:25) It doesn’t matter whether my house is built on rock or sand, or whether I’m rich or poor, wise or foolish, talented or untalented, Christian or non-Christian, beautiful or ugly, mature or immature, threatening storms eventually break over all of us. Thus, the question for Robert Griffin and for us is not,  Will we encounter storms? The question is, Will the storms flatten us?

The apostle Peter wrote to Christians advising them: “Do not be surprised at the painful trial your suffering as though something strange were happening to you.” (I Pet.4: 12). One of the ways the storms injure us is when they are unexpected. Painful trials should not be a surprise. Painful trials should not seem strange. Painful trials are found on everyone’s path through life.  A young athlete may be hassled by incompetent referees, unqualified coaches, sprained ankles, jealous teammates, misjudged talent, bad luck, etc.  Such squalls can be a gift to a child, teaching him how to weather more severe storms later in life:  a degenerative disease,  the divorce of parents, the loss of a loved job, the early death of a parent,  rejection by a cherished friend, an absent father, a bankrupting investment, a severely handicapped child,  etc., etc., etc. Even these severe storms can be survived when we are prepared for them. In my next blog I will address how to prepare for them.