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Hardship is Not Eternal

October 14, 2011

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials...set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 3-6 & 13b)

From time to time I have the privilege of preaching and addressing audiences all over America. Usually on some topic of spurring them on to depth in Christ or specifically talking about using the Arts to proclaim the Gospel. Those two themes are easily adapted to just about any American venue from big city mega-churches to rural home churches. I have often wondered though what I would say if I were addressing Christians from another country. A country where being a Christian is not merely unpopular but downright hazardous to your health. A country like Vietnam where Pastor "T" was, on June 26th, dragged from his home, beaten to within an inch of his life and whisked off to an unknown location by the police - merely for being a pastor. I realized that I would not seek to preach some high treatise on the nature of salvation or a resounding call to mature Christianity but I would offer them part of the same encouragement that I myself depend on.

About 3 months ago as I was getting ready for bed I was talking to my wife, reminiscing on some of the joys and frustrations we had gone through together. During this time a very important truth made the 18 inch drop from my head to my heart. In truth, my wife and I are amazingly blessed but there are still some things in our lives that are genuine difficulties and that we've struggled with over the years. I am sure you have those things too... an illness, a physical limitation, maybe it's a persistent need or an unending conflict. Maybe an unsaved spouse or wayward child that causes your tortured nights. It could be an imprisonment for a crime you did not (or even did) commit. It could be an imprisonment of a different nature... imprisoned in a loveless marriage or a thankless job. Or even the knowledge that God is calling you to something but has, as of yet, kept you waiting. And for whatever reason you have to endure either as a consequence of your own choices or because this is where God has put you for this time and place. Those things are often painful & uncomfortable.

Here's the encouragement I want to offer you in this segment of our ongoing blog devotional. Simply this, no matter what you encounter in this life as you walk with God - no matter what blessing or hardship, joy or pain - nothing can change the end result for a Christian. Namely an eternity with Christ in Heaven. For those of us who have believed that Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross for our sins and was raised to life; for those of us who have invited Him to live in us as Lord and Savior - for those of us who in fact are Christians - there is a guaranteed eternity for us with God in Heaven. Not a quick vacation or sabbatical - not even a long term retirement - an eternity. Time without end to bask in the presence of our Saviour, to worship before His throne, to be in physical perpetual fellowship with the Author of Creation forever. Yes, in this life there may be pain (nowhere in Scripture is walking with Christ called "easy" - it's the "narrow" road for a reason) but there is also a guarantee. So long as we stay centered on Christ, no hardship, trial, frustration, failure, difficulty or stress can change our end destination. The pain is temporary, the victory is already won, the prize already awarded, the end guaranteed - all in and because of Christ.

The verses that surround our initial text above in 1st Peter say much about how we are to live our lives between now and eternity - I encourage you study them so that you make the most of the time that God gives you here on this earth - but the fact remains that no difficulty or hardship we experience on earth as we walk in God's plan for us can change the fact that we are guaranteed eternity with Christ! Praise God for His unfailing mercy and favor! Walk with your head held high that this - whatever you are going through no matter how hard or painful - is not your end. Your end is Christ; your end is guaranteed forever! Hang in there, trusting God, knowing that our temporary hardships can not change our eternal guarantee! Praise God!

'til next time... God bless!

Art: Never Alone by Ron DiCianni

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