Where’s God When It Hurts?
We’ve all heard the phrase, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” It’s great for a truck commercial, but rarely helpful when life throws us a curveball. The reality is that often when life gets tough, we have no idea where we should “get going.” We’re confused, unsure of ourselves, and wondering what God wants us to do. Should I confront this person? Find a new job? Leave my church? Pursue my dream? We have no idea!
This phrase is problematic on several levels. First, it suggests a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” theology rather than a “depend on your faithful God” theology. If the expectation is that I need to be tough, then where is the vulnerable admission that I need God? How will I ever see God’s faithfulness and provision if I believe and act as if I don’t need it?
If we draw closer to God when life gets tough, then seasons of suffering become opportunities to grow in our faith and find comfort in our Savior. It’s okay to admit you need help.
Second, this phrase often sparks shame for the person struggling. “I guess I’m not very tough.” “Other people could probably handle this better than I am.” Shame leads to isolation – from God and from others. And we need both to strengthen us when times are hard!
When life gets tough, we often ask, “Where is God in this?”. We assume that if we cannot feel Him, it means that He has left us to our own devices and it is up to us to power through. Nothing could be further from the truth.
God IS with us in the struggle. We are NEVER alone. And just because He isn’t making it easy doesn’t mean that He isn’t strengthening us.
Tough times are opportunities to draw near to God and humbly ask for His help. But we must remember that we don’t get to decide what that help looks like. Sometimes His help looks like giving us just enough energy to make it through the next hour or just enough courage to share our story with someone else.
When the going gets tough, Jesus followers reach out to Him and trust that He means what He says and will give us what we need.