Now some Christians take the living hope resurrection power of Christ as itself being a new kind of technique for overcoming trials in life. In other words, they say that, if we truly believe in Christ and His resurrection power is at work within us, we never need to face any kind of overwhelming trial. We can always be peaceful, joyful, happy and have our circumstances so perfectly adjusted that our trials and burdens disappear. Yet this is not what the Lord promises.

 
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” – 1 Peter 1:3, ESV

“How can I possibly handle this?” Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by something that you felt like you were suffocating? Maybe it was an impossibly busy schedule or a seemingly unsolvable problem or perhaps a deeply rooted sin that you could not conquer. Whatever it was, you were sure that it was going to overcome you, bury you under its impossible oppression and suck the very life right out of you?

Maybe, by God’s grace, you can look back at that impossible struggle and see that it was not as truly overwhelming as you thought it was. Or maybe you’re still under the weight of it and cannot see the way out. Wherever you are, looking back or under pressure, I can guarantee you that you will face more pressures and more impossible situations in the future. It really does seem like life is often more than we can handle.

So, what do we do? Can we get some new technique that will help us cope and overcome? Is there some magic word or tactic or strategy we can adopt to help us manage an often-overwhelming life? Well, sometimes, the answer is yes, or seems to be. A hectic schedule can be helped by organization- a new calendar, a smart phone, a more organized task list, etc.

Yet the deeper and harder the struggle, the more a new technique just doesn’t seem to be enough. We need more. In the end, tricks and tips may help us use our computers better or manage our task list more effectively, but they do not have real saving power. Praise be to God that He offers us so much more! God does not give us clever tricks for coping with life; He gives us new life and a living hope through a risen and eternally living Savior.

The resurrection of Jesus assures us that, if we belong to Him, the crushing pressures of this life cannot crush us. As we look not to ourselves but to our risen Savior, we will find:

• We have a Savior who lives forever with the power of an indestructible life (Heb. 7:16).
• This living Savior is our Head and our Great High Priest.
• We are joined to our living Savior by faith and, through His Holy Spirit, He lives in us and through us.
• Thus, the same power which raised Christ from the dead also lives and works within us (Rom. 8:11; Eph. 1:19).

Now some Christians take the living hope resurrection power of Christ as itself being a new kind of technique for overcoming trials in life. In other words, they say that, if we truly believe in Christ and His resurrection power is at work within us, we never need to face any kind of overwhelming trial. We can always be peaceful, joyful, happy and have our circumstances so perfectly adjusted that our trials and burdens disappear.

Yet this is not what the Lord promises. Just as Paul, who suffered more hardships and faced more impossible difficulties than anyone else I know (read 2 Cor. 11:24-29). Union with Christ and the living hope He brings does not make our lives any easier, but it joins our souls to a power greater than ourselves and teaches us complete and utter dependence upon Him in everything. In fact, belonging to Christ often means we will face more trials be more severely tested, if only to teach us not to depend on ourselves and to deepen our trust in Him.

One of my favorite hymns that helps me keep these things in perspective is from John Newton, “I Asked the Lord.” Here is Indelible Grace’s version of this great hymn:

Jason A. Van Bemmel is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and is Pastor of Faith PCA in Cheraw, S.C. This article appeared on his blog Ponderings of a Pilgrim Pastor and is used with permission.