FAITH IN THE STORMS

A few weeks ago, Jenny attempted suicide! My friend, Jennifer Idris, a recent convert to the Christian faith tried to take her own life. When I was told of this ill development, I was really shaken and lost in thoughts. Jenny was a lady who came to realize the love of God for her and had accepted the only path to God – Jesus, as Lord over her life.

It has just been three years now since her conversion and I had come to know Jenny as one filled with so much joy and passion over her just recently founded faith and walk in her new path, she had great desires to know God more and actually did seek for more of Him. This led to the reason why I couldn’t comprehend her attempted suicide, so I decided to pay her a visit and get to find out the true state of affairs.

When Jenny saw me standing at her courtyard, she quickly ran towards me and hugged me, truly it had been a while. We sat together for over six (6) hours while she narrated with tears what I’d prefer to call her ‘Night phase’. Jenny had lost her job, house, only child and husband in just a year, within that same year, she survived a fatal accident that resulted in the loss of her right eye. I was moved to tears when I heard her disheartening episodes, how could just one person go through all this in a year! But, Jenny did! You’d agree that the thought of committing suicide couldn’t be mind-boggling after such a series of mischief.

Hearing her speak with despair, I was fizzled out by her words and became short of mine. I started off by saying “It is well”. As if to make ridicule of my religious statement, she sighed! I could sense the derision in her voice, she was probably tired of hearing such statements and consolation intro. I didn’t stop there however, this was my further response to her;

“We stand the test of God’s love when we are still able to see Him and His plans even in our times of trouble, many have lost sight of God in the midst of pain because they expected an all rosy life with Him, and so, their love for Him failed when trials came.”

Just like Jenny, we sometimes find ourselves in such situations where we begin to doubt our calling because our circumstances don’t seem to fit our calling, we lose FAITH at the sight of the storms. When the wave gets too tough for us, we forget the words of God and lose sight of Him totally, the pain overwhelms us and all we see is ourselves and our pains. Amazingly, that wasn’t God’s plan for Jenny, the negative confessions and the easy road out of the storm that requires you leaving God’s hand isn’t His desire for you either.

God wants you to “consider it pure joy whenever you face trials”, He wants you to understand that the storms are meant to test your faith and the result of the storm is worth the storm. James 1:2-3 tells us that the storm produces perseverance, maturity, makes you complete and takes away lack. God wants you to enjoy the testimonies that are birthed from the tests. The focus isn’t the trials, rather, it is the result of it.  How I love the way 2 cor 4:17 calls it, it calls it ‘momentary troubles’.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”

I tried to imagine how depressed and frustrated Tyler Perry must have been when all hope seemed lost. Mr Tyler had to change his name from Emmitt Perry Jr. to disassociate himself from his abusive father, he grew up in poverty and did not complete high school, he drifted from job to job for several years, and he recorded lots of commercial failures when he started his career as a producer and performer. His works and productions have been heavily criticized but something kept Tyler moving and that was faith. Tyler never gave up on his dreams or his calling, he kept pushing and today he is one of the most commercially successful African American filmmakers in history. Tyler Perry Studios is the first major film studio in the nation to be owned by an African American.

Tyler’s story serves as an inspiration to us all. His recorded success is well appreciated because it was birthed out of diverse storms he had to face. You won’t carry the cross for very long, it is momentary and it is worth carrying because of the crown that comes after it, we count it all joy!

“You have put us to the test, God; as silver is purified by fire so you have tested us. You let us fall into a trap and placed heavy burdens on our backs. You let our enemies trample over us; we went through fire and flood, but now you have brought us to a place of safety.”

Psalms 66:10-12.

Jenny, a fiction, however, depicts the life and storms many believers face, it was similar for Job, Joseph, the Israelites and even for me. While the devil thought the victory was his, God had a better plan all along, and that is to get His perfect image out of His beloved. You are God’s silver, allow Him to take you THROUGH the fire, you won’t remain there, it is just a process to get you to your wealthy place. Hang in there, don’t lose faith, trust God! I tell you, the glory outweighs the process!

Let us pray

Father, we say thank you for today, thank you for yet another digest of your words and for opening our eyes to this truth, we’ve come to realize that though the trials and troubles we face are tough, your plans for us outweighs it. Forgive us for doubting you in our past storms and give us the strength to continue the race, to never lose sight of you in the storms. Thank you Lord for hearing us, we ask this in faith through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless you! Amen.

Tsalla Emmanuel