Difficult Roads

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.

Introduction

The Godly Troublemaker exists to shine the light of Christ in the eyes of the idols of our day, and to do so with just a wee little bit of snark…we prefer to call it Godly snark. This is important because the following entry into said idol shining and shenanigans that we are usually engaged in may seem a bit different from this current entry, but it’s not really…The idea is always to encourage those who love the Lord and enrage and provoke, dare we say – Trouble, those who hate him. So then, if you are encouraged, praise God, and if you are engaged, well, you’re welcome.

My wife and I just recently moved across country to the deep south after I decided to take a break from full-time pastoral ministry. After a difficult twelve years culminating on the most difficult season my family has ever been through we decided to unplug, sell everything, go into the wilderness and determine what the Lord would have for us in the next season of our lives. My wife and kids needed more of me and, honestly, I needed more of them as well.

After praying about it for several months, the decision was easy, though we knew the road would be difficult. Oh yeah, we also bought a fixer upper to renovate together. I guess it should be noted that we bought it sight unseen, though we knew we were buying a fixer upper. And by fixer upper, I don’t mean lip-stick on a pig. I mean, we’re gutting this thing and makin’ bacon.

After spending a couple days in the car…correction, after spending a couple days in a Uhaul and minivan with our five children, two bulldogs, two guinea pigs and a rabbit we arrived just north of Dante’s Inferno. Trying to describe the heat to those who have never been south of south won’t get it, and those who have, get it immediately, so I’ll just leave it there.

As we opened the door to our newest adventure we felt like we were walking through the valley of the shadow of death…right up through the devil’s crack – it was 100 degrees in the house, but fortunately, it only felt like a hundred and fifteen. We soon realized that there were some very real substantive issues that were bigger than we anticipated and that’s not even mentioning the fact that there wasn’t a load bearing wall where we needed one or the termites, or the water damage everywhere, or the fact that we basically needed a new everything. Or the fact that we’ve had no appliances for some time, or that the seven of us all slept in the same room for some time because the rest of the house was uninhabitable.

But God is good and this wasn’t our first rodeo, and we have a saying in home, “embrace the crazy”…so we did, embrace the crazy that is, and got to work. Yes, the work is difficult. Yes, it is hot…like really hot. Yes, the days are long and my body is aging in dog years. However, the Lord, in His grace has seen fit to bless my family in this season, and it’s been wonderful. This has led me to reflect much on God’s grace to those who intentionally or unintentionally must walk down difficult roads.

Difficult Roads

So I brought my wife and three daughters to Hobby Lobby the other day, which was one of those gifts of familiarity, to those who have ever felt a little lost in translation and who have ever found themselves in unfamiliar places. I should also add that said trip was perhaps more enjoyable for them than it was for me. But I love them very much as they do me, which is to say that we were there far longer than I wanted but not nearly as long as they wanted. So after they had made their way through about ten percent of the store, and I had seen everything twice over my ladies decided to have mercy on me.

This is not to say that we left empty-handed however. Oh no, my wife has never not found

something on clearance, and this day was no exception. It’s usually a pot, my wife loves pots, or a basket of some sort…we have lots of those too. But this day, my wife found a sign. She said she liked it and wanted to be reminded of these words every day. Though, at the time, I probably, maybe would have preferred a motivational cat poster, I humored her and have since come to love this sign. Not just because I love my wife (which I do immensely), but because I love the Lord and the sign is a good reminder of how He often works.

It's a little round sign about twelve inches in diameter that says, “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” She hung it in our entry way, which is currently a hot mess and half demoed and what’s not is still painted smoker yellow which makes this nice new sign stand out all the more and also makes it the perfect location.

One of the reasons why this sign has become such an encouragement to us isn’t just because we love fixing broken things and love making ugly things that other have overlooked beautiful. It isn’t just because it’s a good reminder that dominion is difficult, but that dominion works towards beautiful ends. These are all true, but the reason why this sign has become such an encouragement to us is because it reminds us of God’s providence and sovereignty.

After twelve years in ministry I have had countless people share with me the most difficult things they have walked through in life – often times, walking through it with them. Almost every one of them, without fail has said something similar. Something like, “that was the worst thing I have ever gone though, and I never want to go through something like that again. However, what the Lord brought about from said “difficulty” was the greatest blessing He could have given.”

I can attest to this in my own life, and I’m sure many listening can as well. God draws straight with crooked lines, and out of a bunch of broken pieces of glass God makes portraits. There are so many things in life that I don’t understand, and being well into my forties now, I often seem to have more questions than answers. However, what God has revealed of Himself to me in His written word, His incarnate Word and through experience is wonderful and sure – a steadfast anchor for the soul.

Sure, I don’t have everything figured out and neither do you – but in Christ are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Christ is the beautiful destination at the end of every difficult road for the saint. Paul said it this way,

“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

I don’t know what you may be going through, and I don’t know what that purpose may be, but He does, and I do know that given a long enough timeline, it will make sense to you as well. The preacher of Ecclesiastes would remind us that there is a time and a place for the saints to go through difficult seasons. Difficult roads often need to be driven on, and these roads are God’s blessings as well. So too, is staying the course. James says it this way,

“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

Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations because the end, the goal is to be made into the image and likeness of Jesus who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:6-8).

The truth is, none of us are nearly as much like Jesus as we care to admit. We love the fact that God will not leave us nor forsake us – Amen. However, what accompanies that promise is God’s commitment to making you like His Son. Yes and Amen, but also, ouch!

Here is where the conviction comes in for the saint and the salt gets put in the wound of the unregenerate. Let’s deal first with the saint. Many in broader evangelicalism have a tendency to treat every hardship, every difficulty, every trial as if God was maliciously smiting them down in some fashion. Or, at the first sign of opposition, the conclusion is quickly reached that, “this must not be the will of the Lord. Perhaps, but on the surface, this is absurd. In fact, I can’t think of one saint in the Scriptures who didn’t face trials.

Not to mention that the Lord of glory was crucified at the hands of lawless men. Should we expect more than He? Something about broad and narrow roads and stuff…The Author of Hebrews says,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus didn’t enjoy the suffering. In fact, we told, He despised the shame. The joy that was set before Him, was His Father’s vindication and His exaltation. The joy that was set before Him was the renewal of all things. The joy that was set before Him was the redemption of His people. The joy that was set before him was His throne. The joy that was set before Him was new heaven and new earth. The joy that was set before Him was the judgment of Satan, sin and death. The joy that was set before Him, was your life. This is not just a beautiful destination, but “the” beautiful destination.

Again, the author of Hebrews says this:

“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:3-11

In popular parlance, we might say, “Are you dead?” “Nope! Then suck it up, get up, dust off, reload and get back at it.” The secret about the saying on my wife’s sign, “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations” is that you have to stay on the road. This doesn’t mean you can’t lane change. It simply means that you have to keep moving forward. God is good and He is faithful.

Here is the salt and light, and said idol smashing. Only those in Christ can legitimately say this. If there is no heaven above us and no hell beneath us, your entire worldview – with its trials and with its difficulties amounts to nothing more than, “shit happens.” Outside of Christ, beauty doesn’t exist, only preference…come to think of it, neither does a destination which implies meaning and purpose and telos. Outside of Christ there is only movement.

This provides the Christian with something in life, with all its ups and downs, with all its peaks and valleys, with all its trials and triumphs, with all its laughter and tears, namely, joy. We have joy set before us because we have Jesus set before us and He is altogether lovely. Therefore, we don’t simply turn our frowns upside and pretend to be happy like a disingenuous idiot, or some Christian caricature like Ned Flanders. Joy is something different that an emotional disposition. It’s a deeper magic than emotions. Joy is the path we’re on regardless of the difficulty of the road.

Conclusion

Joy is not only the end for the saint, but it is also the path we’re on. It is also, one of our greatest testimonies to a fallen world. We do not have to lie or pretend. Things can be very hard and difficult at times, but this is not the end. Christians have been able to rejoice in any and every circumstance not because any and every circumstance is enjoyable, but because of what Christ is producing in our lives through and every circumstance. The worst thing that we could possibly go through in life, Christ has already overcome for us. We can rejoice in any and every circumstance because difficult roads lead us further up and further in.