Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Warren Wiersbe
The Roots of Trouble Sprout an Opportunity
A seed is buried and appears to be dead, and if you bury a seed, it appears that the seed has died, but the seed uses the burial as a great opportunity to grow. So too can our own troubles bring about an opportunity that might not have presented itself if not for the problem. In the early church, there was great persecution, but because of this great trouble, they didn’t quit. It actually served to spread the gospel well beyond Judea. So what looked like trouble was used to bring many others to saving faith in Christ. We see that happening in Acts 8:4 where “those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”
The Death of Christ Brought Eternal Life
What the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ saw when Jesus was murdered on the cross must have been devastating. The last thing they expected really was for Jesus to be raised from the dead, but “that Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). What appeared to be the end of Jesus’ ministry was really just the beginning of the way to eternal life in Christ (John 3:16).
Born into Trouble, Birthed out of Trouble
The Bible says that “man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 2:9), but “if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:6-7). Gold is made more precious when it passes through the fire, and one of the most precious of all gems, a diamond, is created under great stresses and pressure, so trouble can refine us like the refiner purifies gold, and it is made all the more precious.
Trouble: the Springboard of Opportunity
James wrote that we should “count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). A faith that’s not tested cannot be trusted, and when we hit those deep valleys where we feel like quitting, use these as opportunities to help you grow.
Conclusion
God allows us to pass through troubles to refine us, to purify us, to make us depend on Him, and to use them as springboards of opportunities. Having problems? Do you feel like quitting? Wait, because this might be a great opportunity to help you grow, and you wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?
