Focus on the invisible not the impossible

By William F. Holland Jr.

DD., C.ED.D.

Stop for a moment and closely observe this trial you’ve been going through. When you are wounded and perplexed, it seems all you can think about is the pain, but within this raging battle ask yourself (and be honest) if you’re focusing more on the circumstance than on God who has all the answers. Ask and allow Him to heal your heart.

This situation will not last forever and after a period of suffering the time will come to crawl back to your knees, stand up, dust yourself off, and try to glean wisdom from what has happened so that you will be stronger and wiser next time. Yes, there will be a next time because life is a constant classroom filled with learning opportunities. This is how God develops us to help others in their times of disappointment, and frustration.

Often the evidence that we have come to the end of ourselves is when tears begin to fall. Weeping is a built-in pain release mechanism where God can embrace and comfort us. It’s perfectly alright to cry, as tears help cleanse the soul and bring healing. He sees every tear even in the darkest night and considers them priceless treasures within our relationship with Him.

Tears are more than alright, they are essential to maintaining a constant awareness of His presence. Crying is a result of deep emotions that God created within us and is frequently linked to surrendering our will and giving our burdens and sorrows over to Him. Our will is our most precious possession and is exactly what Jesus has always wanted from us. Those who give Him their will, are allowing Him to control them which is what Christ being our Lord is all about.

If you are an emotional and soft-hearted person God has blessed you. Consider this spiritual sensitivity as a gift from heaven. David said in Psalm 56:8 that God collects our tears and never forgets them. If you cry often you are in good company as we read throughout the Bible that David, Sampson, and Job wept. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet because of his deep grief for sin. In Lamentations 2:10, he writes, “I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken.”

Nehemiah wept for Jerusalem, and mourned, fasted, and prayed before God. Hannah cried while praying to the Lord, and Joseph wept when he faced his brothers. Mordecai cried bitterly for his nation and Jacob cried when he was happy, sad, or saw beautiful things. Paul and Peter shed tears and even Jesus wept. The list goes on. Weeping can be a place of humility as we realize that God is our only hope. A secret place of trust and love that brings us joy and peace.

Arrogance doesn’t want us to be vulnerable or cry, as Proverbs 16:18 says that pride goes before a fall. When the proud weep over their sins, they learn what it means to know God. In finding the end of our own strength and intellect, we discover the beginning of freedom in His love. Your trial did not catch Him by surprise and in His compassion He waits for you to forgive. He uses our broken and contrite heart, to bring humility and maturity in a way that nothing else can.

When walking through difficulty we often wait and see what God is going to do, but maybe in this particular trial, God is waiting to see what you are going to do. “In this, you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” I Peter 1:6-7.

I wear a t-shirt that says, “I do not believe what I see — I see what I believe.” This was a favorite quote from Josh Christmas and I’ve had several people ask what it means. It’s simply saying the world’s voice is not the final answer. God wants us to trust Him even when we cannot see, and to know that His truth is the last word. Trust it, believe it, speak it!

Replace your discouragement with His confidence. So, let the prayers and tears keep coming. Whatever trials may come, we will stand strong with God in faith and resist entertaining fear, despair, and doubt.

Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, certified chaplain, and Christian author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.