Sunday, July 26th, I preached from 2 Corinthians 4 (watch that here). I guess I wouldn’t exactly call it preaching as much as sharing. I shared some of the rollercoaster ride of 2020 and the most recent awful heartache I’ve experienced- the loss of my friend John Powell. I hopefully demonstrated how the Scripture intersects with pain. My hope in sharing was not to use the pulpit as a therapist's couch (I hope it didn’t come across that way), but more to model what we do with our grief, heartaches, disappointments, sorrow, frustrations, and pains.

When faced with hurt our natural reaction is to run quickly to panic, anger, worry, and discouragement. Honestly, when we look at the world as it is in 2020 it’s pretty easy to get there. My hope in speaking from 2 Corinthians 4 was to look somewhere else first.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” - 2 Corinthians 4.8-9

These are verses I go back to over and over again. When storms hit, when the ground shakes and I don’t understand what’s happening, I look here. Why? I find a lot of encouragement in this verse, strange as it might sound. I find a lot of help in processing my pain because in these verses we see clearly that the Bible doesn’t deny difficulty.

Do you see those words? We are...

afflicted
perplexed
persecuted
struck down

I’m a very direct person, so I like how these words don’t shy away from the point- the Bible doesn’t deny difficulty. It acknowledges that trouble happens and having trouble isn’t a measure of your faith. That little idea is absent from the message of so many preachers and teachers in the church. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard pastors blatantly say stupid things like “Prosperity is God’s will and God’s best for you", or “God’s plan for you is success", or “Jesus became poor so that we might become rich”.

That all sounds so nice and makes me feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside. The problem with those garbage statements is...the Bible.

As you read the Bible you see that prosperity isn't promised, success isn’t guaranteed, and suffering is inevitable. As I read the words of 2 Corinthians 4.8-9 I’m encouraged to know that when we go through hardship on this earth it isn’t because of some lack of faith, or because we’re not praying the right prayers or doing the right things. Trouble happens because that’s part of being an occupant of earth.

The trouble we face isn’t uncommon. Jesus told us it would be there.

"In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

So if you’re struggling with trouble that you’re experiencing due to COVID or the isolation associated with it, understand that you didn’t do anything wrong. Trouble is common. Take heart that you know the one who has overcome the world.