The noted psychiatrist Scott Peck, in his best-selling book The Road Less Traveled, begins his tome on the reality of life with these profound words, “Life
is difficult.” Some of us would say that that is the understatement of the
year. But nonetheless it’s certainly true, isn’t it? Life is difficult. Living
isn’t always easy. We’re constantly faced with the challenges that come from
crisis and its companions, pain and suffering. Storms do come whether we want
them to or not. It’s a reality of human life.
Jesus’ story describes the sun as that external
force that can either bring healthy growth to the seedling or withering death.
The sun will always be a factor. Trying to hide from the sun isn’t an option.
The plant needs the sun for growth. So what is it that determines which outcome
the seedling will experience? Root depth.
Jesus’ story also describes the weeds as the
internal force (within the soil) that has the potential of choking out the life
of the seedling. Weeds grow; another fact of agriculture. So what is it that
determines the outcome for the tender plant? Weeding; dealing proactively with
that which has the potential of choking out life.
The same is true for human life. There are both
external factors and internal forces that threaten our equilibrium and balance.
We can’t escape this reality. A drunk driver smashes into our friend’s vehicle
and kills him. We have no control over that external threat. How we deal with
that tragic loss depends much upon the inner strength of our lives, the depth
of our hearts and minds, the anchor points we’ve pulled into our lives through
the years. Some people cave in with such grief and sorrow. Others, though
deeply grieved and sorrowing, not only survive the loss but continue on flourishing
and living productive lives.
Sometimes the threat or storm comes because of
our own internal issues or choices we make ourselves. Someone chooses to be
unfaithful to his wife. His marriage fails, his kids become estranged from him,
he loses his job, his self-respect, and the effects go on. The question is, how you handle all those
losses depends much upon the depth of your life and the inner strength of your
character. Do you cave in under all the pressures and simply give up on life,
letting guilt and shame spiral you down to destruction? Or do you look at your
internal issues and choose to proactively deal with them so you can learn and grow
and move on in healthy ways that result in productivity?
The first point is that storms come – simple as
that. As long as we are human, we will experience both external and internal
storms – storms of others’ making that impact us, and storms of our own making
that threaten us. The second point is this: notice, in both cases the
appearance of those forces reveal the depth of the soil and the strength of the
plant. Jesus is clear that one of the positive outcomes of crisis is that it is
like a thermometer measuring the temperature of our souls and hearts. It
reveals to us how much we need to do to become healthier, what issues we need
to address to flourish. It’s like a mirror that suddenly gets held up in front
of us and we see ourselves as we really are.
That’s why the Chinese character for crisis is a
combination of the symbols for “danger” and “opportunity.” Which side we fall
upon determines the end result – we either get swallowed up by the danger or we
grow by the opportunity. It’s our choice when side-swiped by crisis.
This is probably what the biblical author Paul
had in mind when, in commenting about how people deal with life said, “For we
know that all things work together for good.“ (Romans 8:28) Is he saying that
no matter how bad or painful or evil a given situation is it’s good for us?
Certainly not! He’s describing this human reality of crisis – within every crisis
and storm there is the potential of “good” emerging based upon how we choose to
respond to and deal with it.
“Through conflict the spiritual life is
strengthened. Trials well borne will develop steadfastness of character and
precious spiritual graces. The perfect fruit of faith, meekness, and love often
matures best amid storm clouds and darkness.” (White 1941, p. 61.)
But lest we get discouraged by our inability to
deal proactively with crisis, in that verse Paul is actually commenting on God’s
power to bring good from everything. In other words, God has chosen to make
Himself that Resource which can empower us to posses the inner strength to deal
proactively with every situation, good or bad, in our lives – so that the end
result is greater fulfillment and healthy growth. That’s the divine miracle of redemption
inherent in the storms of life. So one of the significant issues in dealing
with storms is what kind of use are you making of God’s inner resources in
coping and dealing with your crises?
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