A GOD WHO PRIORITISES SALVATION | KAIROS GLOBAL | OCTOBER 2020

Author: Raifiel Cyril

Intro: Raifiel Cyril tells us why we must praise God at all times – especially when life serves us the “yucky stuff”.

A typical reaction we Christians have to anything going in our favour is, ‘Praise God’. We feel God has worked in our favour to accomplish this. We love to attribute everything that we are happy about to God. But what about the things we are not so happy about? What is our reaction then? Is God no longer worthy to be praised? Is He no longer working in our lives? 

On the contrary God is constantly at work in our lives. We who judge by temporal senses can easily fall into the trap of thinking that something is wrong, something is amiss when things don’t fall into our favorite patterns. Yes of course things are amiss in the world, have been since Adam and Eve, and always will be. The world that is not ruled by Christ will have troubles, HE said. In the imperfect world stained by sin there is pain, sickness, sorrow, heartache, abuse, rejection, fear, addiction, broken relationships, murder, lying, stealing. In the imperfect world stained by sin is also pride, greed, envy, sloth, wrath, lust, gluttony. We all are victims of and contributors to the broken world. WHAT then do we praise God for when it hurts? What for?

1 Pet 1: 3-9

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Why we can and must praise God at all times is this:

1. New birth into a living hope. Our hope can never die because He has risen. Our hope is based not on circumstances or people or even ourselves but on the matchless name of Jesus Christ, the son of the living God. Whether or not we see, feel or acknowledge it, GOD is at work and He never sleeps!

2. We have an inheritance, a reward in heaven, that will never perish

3. Trials test the genuineness of our faith and lead to praise, glory and honour

4. Even though we haven’t seen Christ, we love Him and believe in Him, being then filled with unutterable joy. How amazing is the gift to know and love God just as we would a living person. Can we ever thank God enough for the gift of faith?

So then, did God ever say, praise me because your life is perfect? Not at all but He tells us that when everything is hopeless we can hope in Him; even if everything we possess perishes, God’s inheritance awaits us. He tells us that our painful trials only refine our faith which is what leads us to salvation. And finally even if each one of our relationships may be marked by brokenness, we have a Lord whose love for us is unchanging and immeasurable. Yes of course life will have plenty of troubles but take heart, Christ, your friend and lover has overcome the world.

One of my pet peeves about God is His impenetrable gaze at our journey into eternity. He doesn’t prioritise our comfort over salvation. So some things don’t change, don’t heal, stay painful and even die. You know why? His eyes are on getting you and me into eternity with Him and that “yucky stuff” is the gold that keeps us on track. As much as we writhe and groan and resist the suffering, on the right side of eternity we will have only two words for Him for not always prioritising our salvation over comfort – Thank You!

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Raifiel Cyril is a writer, counsellor, member of National Council, Jesus Youth Australia and part of the Kairos Global Editorial Council. She lives with her husband, Cyril Abraham in Canberra, Australia.