In my years of ministry I have noticed four kinds of major challenges to our faith in Christ and to our trust in His sovereignty. These tests put us at a crossroads. We can lose hope and go down the road to despair, or we can choose faith and see God work in mighty ways, even if it doesn’t happen the way we expect or on our timetable.
1. Persecution
Jesus warned us in Matthew 10:22: “All men will hate you because of me.” This statement accurately describes persecution against Christians in the last century. More people were martyred in the twentieth century than in all the previous centuries combined. That’s over 45 million saints martyred out of the 70 million total according to the World Christian Encyclopedia. What will this century hold?! Last year was the worst single year of persecution to date.
Is my faith strong enough that I am willing to be persecuted and even die for the cause of Christ?
2. Poverty
The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be lacking daily sustenance (Philippians 4:13). Millions of Christians around the world have very few possessions to call their own. Their lives revolve around just getting enough food for the day. According to UNICEF, 24,000 children die each day from causes related to poverty – preventable causes such as malnutrition, unclean water, and diseases like malaria. That is an amazing and heartbreaking reality. God expects His people to do something about it.
Do I believe that God’s word is true when He says He will supply all my needs according to his glorious riches?
3. Prosperity
Our wealth and possessions have replaced our need for God here in the Western world. Jesus warns us that prosperity comes with an expectation: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke 12:48). Yet, many Christ-followers have been lulled to sleep and wooed away from an active faith and life of service to God because of our pursuit of worldly things. Even though we are the wealthiest church in human history, we are also the stingiest!
Have material possessions dulled my faith in Christ and caused me to focus on worldly things and activities with no eternal significance?
4. Personal Pain
Sooner or later, we are all faced with something that will test our trust and faith in Christ. Perhaps we are victims of some form of abuse or will witness a painful sickness of a loved one, observe the “untimely” death of a friend, or endure an interpersonal conflict with a family member. It is important to remember that we will not understand most of God’s plans and purposes in this life. Also, we live in a fallen and sinful world, so we are not guaranteed an easy or pain-free life. We must have faith that God is in control. He uses these life experiences to mature us, draw us closer to Him, and accomplish His master plan for the world.
Is my faith in God stronger than any pain I may experience in this life?
Conclusion
No matter what combination of persecution, poverty, prosperity, or personal pain that we are faced with, God is greater. Let us pledge that no matter what happens in our lives, we will love and trust God – even when we don’t understand or like what is taking place. We will be fully restored one day by our Lord, so let’s keep eternity in mind. Have faith in the One who saved us and uses our lives for His glory. Amen!