Looking Appropriately at afflictions
Have you ever read about the definition of the affliction of the Puritans? (Puritans were those who lived in the time of Elizabeth and the Stuarts who wanted reformation in the Church of England. They were committed for a holy living as per the teachings of the Bible. They suffered a lot for their faith and belief in the word in history). About the Puritans and their views on affliction Dr. Joel R. Beeke said that the Puritans did not long for affliction. But they looked at afflictions in a different angle and put them into good use. The Puritans looked at affliction as God looks at afflictions. They looked at the Christian life as a watchmaker looks at a watch. If you remove the back portion of your watch, you will find many wheels. Some of the wheels rotate in clock-wise directions while others in anti-clock-wise direction.
But if you look on the front side of your watch, you will find only the second hand moving around in perfect pattern.
This illustrates the way in which God works in the life of a believer. When we look at our Christian life we look at it from the backside of a watch. One wheel goes one way and the other in the opposite way. God’s dealings in us seem to be confusing as the wheels rotate in different directions. We immediately ask, ‘Why is this happen in a particular way in my life?’
This leads to discouragement and depression. But if we look at the affliction in God’s perspective, we will be looking at it from the right side and say, ‘It is just the way the Lord is leading me and everything works together for good to those who love God.’ The Puritans learned to look at afflictions in the way the Lord wanted them to look at them. So they endured persecution happily and continued their ministry very joyfully in the midst of suffering and affliction.
Afflictions are hardships, trials or tribulations. The Bible says that afflictions bring us to a better place (Ps. 66:10-12) and glorify God (1 Pet. 4:12-16). Let us see how we should look at the afflictions in our lives.
1. Look at them as for our good:
“And we know that all things works together for good to those who love God, to those whom are called according to His purpose.”Rom.8:28
2. Look at them as for our benefit:
“For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” Heb.12:10
3. Look at them as transient:
“So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgement of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.”2 Thess.1:4-7
4. Look at them as a means of testing:
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Is. 48:10
5. Look at them as a part of life and to be endured:
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”Matt.24:9; “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Tim. 4:5
6. Look at them as that which cannot shake you:
“That no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” 1 Thess.3:3
7.Look at them as momentary:
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Cor.4:17
8. Look at them as a part of the gospel:
And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thess.1:6
9. Look at them with the understanding that deliverance is promised:
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Ps. 34:19; “Persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.” 2 Tim.3:11
10. Look at them with the confidence that nothing can separate you from the love of God: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor
depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom.8:35, 38,39.
(Taken from True Discipleship, January 1998