God desires your honesty more than your positivity.
There is a misconception among Christians, a wrong message often preached, that once you give your life to Jesus, you will never have to face hardship again.
Whenever I hear believers say something along the lines of “Nothing bad will ever happen to us by God’s grace,” my heart breaks for them, because sooner or later, reality will catch up with them.
Jesus Himself said:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 NIV
Even Jesus’ own disciples faced many hardships, and only one of them, John, died a natural death at an old age. All the others were brutally executed for their faith.
In Acts 12, we read how King Herod had James, the brother of John, put to death and when that made him more popular among the Jewish people, he decided to do the same to Peter.
Thankfully, Peter was miraculously saved from prison at the last minute by an angel sent from God.
I’ve heard this story told and preached many times, and almost always the focus is on the miracle part, “God will rescue us like He rescued Peter!” Or, “No chains can bind us!”
But we forget the part where God had allowed James to be killed, and Peter to be thrown in prison, guarded by four squads of soldiers (talk about overkill) and shackled with chains to two soldiers (Acts 12:1-6).
The struggle is real, and the opposition is real. If Jesus Himself said, “In this world you will have trouble,” then it’s ok for you to say, “I’m facing trouble.”
Admitting that not everything in your life is perfect does not mean that you lack faith or are being punished by God.
God desires your honesty more than your positivity!
