Chaplains will have difficult supervisors, impossible duty stations, hopeless phone calls, and many other trials. If you haven’t had one of these yet, it’s coming.
Paul faced more difficult situations than probably any other
person in history, many of these situations were so intense as to make him
consider his utter weakness and God’s strength. In fact, in at least one
circumstance, Paul likely died and had to be resurrected to continue his
ministry (Acts 14:19-20). Our temptation is always to take the easy route of
escape, but we have to remember that God has placed us in our situations for our
good and his glory, and that suffering and pain are not evidence of his turning
his face against us but are often his perfect plan for our lives.
Those whom we minister to will likewise be faced with impossible situations. The chaplain must always consider that what might seem a simple problem to us may be a crushing weight on our counselee. When we offer worldly solutions, we often get in their way of trusting in God. Impossible situations full of despair are always invitations to put our trust in the God who makes the impossible possible, so that he, not us, gets the glory.
You may never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. ~ Corrie ten Boom
Key Verse: We were so utterly burdened beyond our
strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received
the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God
who raises the dead. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
More:
1. Some things you can somewhat prepare for; such as the shock
of knocking on a parent’s door to deliver a Next of Kin (NoK) notification, or
the helplessness of sitting in an emergency room with the parents of a deceased
child. If you can prepare, then prepare; but other situations will be thrust
upon you. The key in facing impossible situations is trusting God to give you
the right words (Luke 12:12) and that he is the only one who can offer hope
(Ephesians 2:12-13) and comfort (Isaiah 49:13, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 7:6-7). Can
you think back on a time when you faced impossible odds and had no option but
to trust God?
2. The opposite of walking by faith is not doubt, but confidence
in yourself. Have you overcome (or escaped) any difficult situations by your
own power when God could have effected a better outcome? I’ve watched marriages
split because of minor difficulties, and grieved at the lost opportunity to
watch God pour out his blessings. The painful truth of many of our lives is, “If
he had done less, he might have done more.”
3. Impossible situations bring out the necessity of prayer. Paul
didn’t just ask for prayer, he said, “You also MUST help us by prayer…” I’ve
sent several texts to groups stating simply, “Headed to the hospital for an
emergency, prayers appreciated.” Calvin said, “If you derive any fruit from my
labours, give me the benefit of your prayers to the Lord.” Who do you have
praying for you? Who are you praying for? What would it look like if God
answered those prayers?
4. Further Resources
Comfort, Ray. God Has a Wonderful Plan for your Life: The
Myth of the Modern Message. Bellflower, CA: Living Waters Publications,
2008.
Priolo, Lou. Divorce: Before You Say “I Don’t”. Phillipsburg,
NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007.
MacArthur, John. Job: Trusting God in Suffering. Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson, 2020.
Elliot, Elisabeth. Suffering is Never for Nothing. Nashville,
TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2019.
Bennett, Sanford Fillmore, and Daniel Brink Towner. Trust
and Obey. In The Baptist Hymnal, Nashville, TN: Lifeway Worship, 2008.
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