Based on 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (New King James Version)
“Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Ralph Lauren said, “I have had a lot of good things happen, but I’ve also had a lot of terrible things happen.” People usually think that the wealthy don’t have problems. Many think that achieving goals and becoming famous, rich, or powerful solves all things in life. But the truth is that none of those things can guarantee happiness or mean that there won’t be any problems. We all have issues. And we all will have trials and tribulations; guaranteed.
From a Biblical perspective, sin is behind every single bad moment in life, and of course, is responsible for death; both physical and spiritual death. Sin touches everything so there are a multitude of reasons for why difficulty happens. There are times that our hardships are caused by outside forces such as natural catastrophes and diseases. There are times that our difficulty comes from the effects of other people’s decisions and actions such as world leaders, politicians, and people in power. Along those lines, we are affected by our family and their decisions as well. Many people are just born into a very difficult life. Much of that is outside of our control.
And sometimes people say, “why me?” And the answer is, “Because you chose to do that.” There are things that occur as a result of our own bad decisions. We have made life complicated for ourselves. That is called “consequence” (these can be avoided, by the way). And as surely as the world exists, both the external causes and the self-inflicted causes come together to form the interesting blend you have today. Life is hard.
With all of these challenges, thoughts of confusion and frustration set in. I heard someone explain that life is like a puzzle. With a regular puzzle, there are people that attempt to sort things out by trying to find pieces that are either the same color or shaped to form the edge of the image. And what is vital as part of putting together a puzzle is the picture on the box. Life is like a puzzle, but we get handed a bunch of pieces at the beginning and over time, and there is no picture of what it should look like in the end. The pieces sometimes don’t fit together. There is no concept of whether a piece is part of the edge of the image, or if it belongs somewhere in the middle. There are pieces that we try to force together or at least try to group together, but can’t make work. There are pieces that we just don’t understand where they go. And there are pieces that can stand for a very hard and painful time. And what makes those pieces even harder to deal with is the fact that there is no human solution; there is no way to resolve them; not now and not ever; whether self-inflicted, or caused by the outside, or both.
Today’s passage explains that there are even some good things that will fade away or vanish. It also explains that “now” we see things dimly; undefined. We believe in an Almighty God that can change circumstances, bring healing, provide necessary things, and perform miracles. There is nothing impossible for God. But, there are things that God allows to happen and it appears like those things don’t change or nothing miraculous happens. We don’t know “now” what the picture of the puzzle of our life will look like in the end. We may not know “now” why certain things happen or why certain things don’t change, especially those very painful pieces. But “then”, we will see face-to-face; we will know as we are known; as God knows now and will know then also.
How do we deal with those unresolved pieces in life? The answer is God’s love. That will never fail. Everything else will go away, but love will “always” remain. Paul explains that he had a problem that he was not able to resolve, even though he prayed real hard for it. And he relates God’s response here: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. We can be made strong through God’s presence in our lives, which can only happen through the grace of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Only the Grace of God can help.
And herein lies God’s promise of love to those that love Him and follow Him, no matter what the circumstances: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” Revelation 21:1-5. Depend on God’s grace and love, and you will get through the impossible. Lord bless! John