A Survival Guide for Trouble

By Rev. Tim Pauls

Recession! Depression! Economic downturn!

I nominate these as the most overused words of 2009. (“Green” seems last year’s winner, especially when used near “carbon footprint.”) I’m tired of hearing about the economy, but there’s a reason why it keeps leading the news: the problems haven’t gone away.

Some reports don’t get much sympathy from me: when a professional athlete may have to settle for $20 million per year instead of $25 million, I don’t get too worked up. Sure, it’s $5 million less than expected…but it’s still about $20 million more than anybody reading this article. I’m not jealous. I just think that he’ll somehow manage to get by.

A trend that troubles me more is the report that Hollywood is looking to save money by remaking so-called classic movies from the 1980s, like “Robocop” and “Clash of the Titans.” I’ve never heard classic and Robocop used in the same sentence before. Somebody, please make it stop now.

Some articles have noted that the current economy has affected teenagers. You’ll be happy to know that you’re now sometimes buying used clothes instead of new, and you’ve even discovered that hoodies without the word Hollister emblazoned across the front still manage to keep you warm. If I sound a little snarky, I’m not making fun of you. I think you knew that already and that these reports are a little patronizing.

I also think there’s a good chance that you’re experiencing the recession in ways worse than clothes. It might be that your mom or dad is out of work: that makes money tight and things tense around the house. It may be that your college plans took a hit, that you’ll be attending a less-expensive school than your first choice or maybe working for a while instead. And even if the economic downturn hasn’t really hurt you, you probably know someone who’s suffering.

Whatever the effects, these are generally tougher times than our nation has faced for a while; and for many, tough times mean worry, anxiety, and a lot of conflicting advice. As a Christian, though, you have a better Word to listen to when money’s tight or in any other time of trouble:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:1–5).

First off, you’ve been justified by faith. Through Jesus Christ, you already have peace with God. Some will be thinking that God is out to get them, that He’s forsaken or forgotten them, and money problems are the proof. You know better. God hasn’t forsaken you. He’s redeemed you at the cost of His own Son’s holy blood. Whatever the Lord is up to behind the scenes, you can be certain you’re not forsaken. For Jesus’ sake, you’re His beloved child.

That’s our hope as Christians. Confident of that, then yes, we can rejoice in our sufferings. The Lord uses them to discipline—not to punish, but to train. (A disciplined soccer team is not frequently in detention, but one that has taken the drills seriously!) Suffering produces endurance; it’s when we suffer that we appreciate more the faithfulness of God and repent of trust in other things. We endure by His grace and mercy.

Endurance produces character; by enduring suffering, you remain as one who has stood the test. But be careful. To stand the test is not to say that you manage to grit your teeth and gut it out until the Lord says you’ve had enough. Rather, to stand the test is to remain the penitent child of God who confesses his sins and trusts in the Lord for strength and deliverance. It is to commend all cares to the Lord and pray, “Thy will be done.” And when you fail to do so, it is to confess that failure and then to trust in God’s mercy again. All of that is the work of the Spirit, for faith is God’s gift to you. That’s the character produced by enduring, by remaining in the faith during the time of trial.

Character produces hope—certain hope that the Lord will deliver. In suffering, we learn that things fall apart, savings disappear, health goes away. People leave because they choose or because they have no choice. There is, however, a blessing in this: trouble exposes idols. As much as things and people are gifts from God, they become idols when we ultimately depend on them rather than the God who gives them. Trouble teaches you their limitations, that you shouldn’t put your hope in them; if you do, you’ll be shamed—maybe even lost—when they fail to deliver you. It’s a blessing to know this: as idols are exposed for their failures, the faithfulness of God becomes more apparent. God is not subject to the ravages of sin. He will not fail you.

The current troubles will pass. They’ll be replaced by other times and other troubles. When we’re in heaven, it won’t matter to us anymore. While we’re still here, we’re able to look back and say, “The Lord has always been faithful.” So we will look back and say after the troubles of the present time.

It’s true even now. You can pray with David, when trouble struck and many doubted the Lord, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” (Psalm 4:7). The Lord is faithful to you, and He uses this for your good. Ever faithful, He is always your joy.

Pastor Tim Pauls is the associate pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and editor of Higher Things. He can be reached at pauls@higherthings.org.