God Never Wastes a Crisis

God never wastes a crisis. It's a deep thought, but one that many Christians don't understand. Having been in what I would definitely call a crisis, I can definitely see how God is not wasting it. God uses the crises that we go through to bring us closer to Him. As we'll see, it is how he tests our faith.

When most Christians in general look at a crisis, they fail to see that God is at the very center of it and that He wants to see you, His child, come closer to Him during that time. Everyone dreads a crisis, but many fail to see how we often become more unified with others and God when we are in crisis.

That’s why James puts it this way in the first chapter of his book:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

It is so tough to look at any crisis in our lives and “consider it all joy.” I mean, what was James thinking when he wrote that? Who would ever consider it joyful to face a trial?

The answer has many parts to it:

One is found in the second part of that verse. It is developing perseverance. Perseverance is the ability to push through any trials or temptations that come our way and to remain strong in Jesus Christ. It is often that we are at our weakest when we experience trials, but that is what God wants. God wants us to be weak so that He can show us how strong He really is. Notice that I did not say to be strong in ourselves, but that God shows His strength in us. If we try to be strong in ourselves we are going to fall face first into the mud. We need Christ who has already been drug through the mud for something He didn't do to pull us through. We do not develop perseverance by ourselves, but God gives us perseverance to trust in Him. That is what gets us through.

Second is that it helps to strengthen our faith. Whenever we come across trials and tribulations, we have to put our complete faith in the God who never fails. We can't put it in others. Every single person we know can let us down. Friends and family will not always be there for us. God is the only one who is ALWAYS there and will NEVER fail. Not only do some people simply let us down, but the people we love will not always be there for us. Death is a reality. If you have placed your faith in a person, you have placed your faith in a mortal being. When they die, the glue that keeps you stuck to that faith is gone. That faith disappears with them. That is why we need faith is Christ.

*Please note, I am not saying friends and family are not trustworthy or faithful. I'm just saying that our faith needs to be rooted in Christ first.

We need to have faith in Christ because He already knows the outcome. He allows the crisis to happen and He knows how He will pull us through. He will never let us down. This is why we can have faith in Him. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

If we focus on what is seen in our trials, we will be like Peter sinking in the water. It will be too big to handle. But if we focus on what is unseen, the faith that God will get us through, then we can have assurance that we'll be okay because God is in control. In my favorite sermon, Jon Mourglia, a potter, says that faith is the raw material God uses to mold us into the men and women He wants us to be. Faith is God’s clay. If we give Him that faith and let Him mold us, He will make us into beautiful pots that display His majesty and overflow with His love. We don't think of a beautiful pot when we see a lump of clay, but God does. Give that lumpy mess to Him that you don't understand and He'll make something beautiful out of it.

A crisis is also a way for God to bring glory to His name. I know something that was always difficult for me to swallow was how I see God in many places in the Bible bring glory to His name by putting someone else through a trial. The most common example is Job. When I read Job, it feels like God is playing a game with him. I mean seriously, God and Satan basically make a bet about whether Job will curse God's name. It is difficult to see why a loving God would do such a thing.

Here is where it is actually pretty cool. God allows Job to experience pain as a way of showing how powerful He (God) is and how He (God) is in control. God is not saying to Satan, “Oh yeah, well I bet you $20 Job won’t curse me?” What God is really telling to Satan is, “I KNOW that Job won’t curse me. You can do whatever you want to him, but this man won’t curse me. Job understands that I never do anything without a reason.” God allowed crisis to happen (notice I say allowed) so that Job could see God’s faithfulness and so that it would bring glory to God’s name. And it is a story that still brings glory to God's name even thousands of years later. God's glory transcends time. Yeah, He deserves the glory.

So whenever you are going through a crisis, remember this one passage.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry. Be joyful. Make your requests known to God. He already has it under control. This crisis will develop perseverance, it will develop faith, and it will also bring glory to Christ’s name. Just don’t forget to go to Him. To quote Bob Marley, “Every little thing, is gonna be all right.”

God Bless everyone!