Fast Forward
/My husband is a St. Louis Cardinal fan, and by association, I have inherited his passion. Last Sunday, because of a previous obligation, we had to miss a play-off game. We would have been devastated to miss a critical part of their playoff journey, but for the DVR! After warning everyone we knew not to text us during the game with updates, we came home to watch. Not only did we get to see the entire game, we did it in record time. We were able to fast forward through commercials, pitcher warm-ups, and endless babble from announcers— everything unpleasant that would have interfered with the actual game. I got to thinking—wouldn’t it be wonderful to fast forward our life at times. We could fast forward through all the unpleasantness, times of suffering, illness, disappointment, fear and anxiety. I vaguely remember a movie that came out several years ago that had this premise. I never saw it, but I learned from my Google search that the main character, played by Adam Sandler, used a special remote to “fast forward” through the unpleasant parts of his life. He learned, however that missing those bad moments also meant that he missed important time with his family. The write-up on Rotten Tomatoes explained that he ultimately learns that “life is as much about the moments he'd rather forget as it is the moments he will always remember.”
This truth is more richly revealed in God’s word, where He confirms this truth repeatedly. Many of us treat God as a universal remote. We ask Him to remove or at least fast forward us from suffering, and we get frustrated, and sometimes angry, when He doesn’t answer our prayers immediately. God could answer our prayers with a fast yes—He indeed has the power—but He doesn’t always. Countless verses in Scripture reveal some reasons God allows suffering:
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…” Romans 5:3-4
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
“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
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Admittedly, these are hard truths to hear when in the midst of valleys of hardship, which is why we need to learn them now. What we learn today from His Word will help us endure pain that may come tomorrow. For those who call on His name, He promises comfort and peace as well as internal transformation from His Spirit. If we were allowed to fast forward through all the unpleasantness of life, we would miss those blessings. Our spiritual life in Christ is indeed as much about the moments we would rather forget as it is the moments we will always remember.