Does becoming a Christian solve your every problem?
As much as I so desperately want to tell you:
“Yes.”
“100%,”
“Absolutely.”
“All you have to do is accept Jesus.”
Faith is more complicated than that.
This whole idea is confusing because it is perpetuated by Christians. We don’t say Jesus solves everything to mislead people. Sometimes we, as Christians, forget that faith is a process, and it can take time to understand how believing in God can change how we see life. The peace of the Lord is not something you “get” overnight or accept in the blink of an eye. It takes time and practice to be faithful and to understand how God’s plans and God’s presence can make you feel free and at peace.
Although some Christians believe faith did "solve" a lot of their problems with mental illness, drug abuse, infidelity, whatever it may be, this is harmful to hear if you are a Christian who is struggling in one way or another.
When prayers and faith aren't taking the struggle away, that is frustrating, and I know the words of well-meaning Christians aren’t always comforting.
We live in a broken world where unfortunately, hard things happen all the time. It is not for lack of God's goodness or power that these bad things happen, but it is because of our own ability to have free will and as a result to live in a world that is far from perfect. God doesn't cause the painful things to happen, the painful things happen because this world is imperfect.
Luckily, this is where God's peace enters the picture.
Despite all of the bad things that can happen, if you are a Christian, the burden of the bad things can feel a little lighter.
This is because, as a result of Christian faith, you can rest in the fact that the way you are feeling or the awful things that have happened are temporary. I know and believe that God has a greater plan for this world and my life, and there can be a lot of peace in that. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus was sent into the world to save us, teaching us how the meaning of life lies in how much we love. Because of this, I exist with purpose, which gives me more will to live and more joy in doing so. I believe that as a child of God, I can make a difference in this world just by loving God and His children.
Also, I believe that because God loved us so much, He sent Jesus into the world. Because of this, death died when Jesus died. The fear of death for ourselves or our loved ones is a pretty common fear. Being a Christian takes that burden away because Jesus destroyed death. With faith, death is no longer scary, but instead, a beautiful promise that we will one day experience eternal rest because we will finally be united with God.
I have struggled with the fear of death and dying a lot in my life, and it has taken so much prayer and trust in the Lord to believe that I am going to be okay even in death. I still have moments where I am afraid of the concept of dying because this has been such a tough idea for me to grapple with, however, I am so grateful that I have God to lean on when I know I don’t have the answers. If there are some fears in your life that you have a lot of trouble feeling peace about, take some time to cry out to God about the issue.
It is so hard to depend on the world for answers that it doesn’t have.
Sometimes we just need to hear from our life-giver. I like having an image of Jesus to look at when I am worrying about something. In most artwork featuring Jesus, He always looks so loving and at peace. I find it very comforting. It may sound odd, but take some time to sit with a picture of the savior for a little while. Talk to Him openly about why you can’t trust Him with something you are fearful of.
Despite the trouble this world faces, God promises us that we have nothing to worry about in this world either because He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33). When God says not to be afraid, which happens so many times in the Bible, we can believe Him because He is a God who keeps His promises and He is also the most powerful.
If this incredible and mighty God tells you that it is going to work out on earth too, it is safe to believe that.
God’s ultimate goal for us is to feel redeemed and whole. He is on our side and will fight with us and beside us to get us to His best. I don't know about you, but all of that is so reassuring to me and it gives me a lot of strength daily.
God doesn't take the burdens away because that is the wage for living life on an imperfect earth. However, He keeps His promises, loves and protects us, and He is always planning on our redemption, either here on earth or once we are reunited with Him. We will someday know how our pain was used for the greater good, even though it wasn’t something God would have chosen to cause.
Life is better with Jesus because with Jesus, we can have a real hope and know real love.
The person God cares for is me, and I’ll never know why life is still so hard despite His being in control. However, I know deep in my heart that God cares so deeply for all of us, and that is really important because that helps me in every aspect of my life.
In closing, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Have you struggled with understanding God’s peace or how being a Christian can bring a sense of peace? Comment what weighs on your heart below!
With love,
Alena
