God Can Handle My Honesty

In Lamentations 2:19 it says, “Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord.” (NLT)

I’ll encounter awful setbacks in life. When they happen, what should I do next? Do I just grin and bear it? Do I tell God what I think he wants to hear?

No, the first thing I should do is to tell God how I feel—unload my pain. When I’m honest with God about my emotions, it’s actually an act of worship.

Job is a great example of this. Job loses everything—his family, his livestock, his home, and his wealth. But the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat his response: “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship” (Job 1:20 NLT).

Job grieved the way people did in the Middle East back in his day, by tearing his robe and shaving his head. But then he worshiped God.

Any time I experience loss, I’ll face four emotions: 

●   Anger: Why did this happen to me?

●   Grief: What have I lost?

●   Shock: What’s going on here?

●   Fear: What’s going to happen next?,

When I experience a setback, I need to express every one of those emotions. And God can handle them because he is the one who gave them to me.

In fact, the only reason I have any emotions at all is because I am made in the image of God. God is an emotional God; he has emotions. He can handle my anger, grief, shock, and fear.

Job was brutally honest with God, and I can be too. Job said, “I cannot keep from speaking.

I must express my anguish. My bitter soul must complain” (Job 7:11 NLT).

The right response to a setback isn’t to fake a good response. God never wants me to fake an emotion.

In one of the most difficult setbacks in the entire Bible, after Jerusalem had been looted and destroyed and the Israelites had been killed, enslaved, and exiled, the prophet Jeremiah writes this: “Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord” (Lamentations 2:19 NLT).

With God, honesty is always the best policy. 

Finding God’s Best on the Other Side of Obedience

In Luke 5:5 it says, “‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’” (NLT)

We all suffer setbacks at work from time to time. But sometimes the simplest step from setback to comeback is just two words: Obey God.

Imagine this scenario: God has told me to do something that seems illogical and foolish. It makes no sense financially, relationally, or emotionally. Worse yet, it scares me to death.

But God says to do it anyway. The next move is mine: Obey God or go my own way.

In Luke 5, Simon Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. For first-century fishermen, it would have been an awful setback.

But Jesus came by and used Simon Peter’s boat to preach. Then Jesus told him: “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4 NLT).

Jesus told Simon Peter what to do—and then Simon Peter had to make the choice to obey.

Jesus’ instruction was completely illogical. On the surface it made no sense. After all, they had fished all night and caught nothing! So why did Jesus tell Simon Peter to go out again—and into the deeper water? It’s in the deep water where you find the most fish. But it’s also where you find the biggest risk. And there’s no faith without risk.

So did Simon Peter decide to obey? “‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again’” (Luke 5:5 NLT).

Simon Peter did what Jesus told him to do. He didn’t do it because it was a smart or popular idea. He did it because God said to do it. He didn’t argue or hesitate.

And, through his obedience, God gave Simon Peter and his companions a bigger business success than they could have dreamed. The Bible says God gave them so many fish that their nets tore and they had to enlist the help of other fishermen.

But none of that happened until Simon Peter obeyed Jesus—even when it was illogical to obey him.

So what has God told me to do that I’m not doing? Does it seem impossible? Does it make little sense financially? Is he telling me to go into the deep water? It doesn’t matter how foolish it seems. God wants me to take a risk and obey him.

The choice is mine: I can either stay in the shallow end where it’s safe or go into the deep water where the fish are. Once I obey, God will take care of the rest. My best days are on the other side of my obedience.

So will I obey? 

In summary, when I follow him and what he asks, I will find success. Obedience is key. Jesus will call me to go out further in faith and not where it is safe. Without my faith there is no risk. Nothing will happen until I obey. The choice is mine. Be safe or step out in faith. God promises that if I obey, he will do the rest. 

Tell It Like It Could Be

In 1 Corinthians 13:7 it says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (NLT) In other words, it always looks for the best!

When I have high expectations of someone, I shouldn’t tell it like it is, rather I tell it like it could be. What does that mean? It means I believe in what God wants to do in and through that person, and I affirm God’s purpose for them.

An excellent example of how this works is a story from Bruce Wilkinson, an author and teacher. Years ago, he was a new professor at Multnomah University, and at the first faculty meeting, he received his class assignments. Another professor saw his sheet and said, “Bruce, you’ve been given two of the section A classes. They’re the brightest students in the university. They’re really engaged and a joy to teach. You’re fortunate to have section A students in your first year.”

Bruce discovered that to be true—he absolutely loved teaching those kids. They were so much more fun to teach than the other classes. They were smarter and asked better questions.

At the end of the year, Bruce told his department supervisor, “Man, I sure hope I get the section A classes again next year!” The supervisor told him, “Bruce, there is no section A. We canceled that program six years ago.”

When Bruce went back and checked his grade books, he found that those “section A” classes may not have been advanced placement, but they received higher grades and wrote more thoughtful term papers than his other classes. Bruce realized—because he expected them to be better students—they rose to the challenge.

Throughout life, I will shape the people around me by my expectations of them. When I expect the best from others, I’m reflecting the lasting love of Jesus.

The Bible says that love does not nag or perpetually bring up past mistakes. The apostle Paul said it this way: “Love . . . always looks for the best” (1 Corinthians 13:7 MSG). Lasting love is forward-looking. It’s optimistic.

Lasting love is full of hope.

In summary, tell it like it could be. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always helpful, and endures through every circumstance.  Love always looks for the best. When I have high expectations of someone, I don't tell them like it is, rather I tell them like it could be. I believe in what God wants to do in and through that person, and I affirm God's purpose for them. Because I expect them to be better, they will rise to the challenge. I will shape those around me by my expectations of them. When I expect the best, I'm reflecting the lasting love of Jesus. 

Let God Turn Work Setbacks Into Comebacks

In Luke 5:6 it says, “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” (NIV)

In my own life, there are times when I have felt discouraged with or worn out from my work. I’ve put my heart and soul into a project, and it simply failed.

A lot of others have faced similar setbacks in life including the disciples. But it’s what happens after the setback that is truly important.

Peter was a fisherman by trade. One day he and his fellow fishermen were washing their nets after spending the whole night fishing—and catching nothing. When they didn’t catch fish, they didn’t make money. No doubt they were discouraged and tired.

And then Jesus came along and did the impossible. He told Simon Peter: “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4 NIV).

Simon Peter’s response was typical of someone who’s frustrated: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything” (Luke 5:5 NIV).

I think we’ve all hit that stage. We’ve given our work our best shot and come up empty. We’ve done everything right—and we may even believe God led us to do what we’re doing—but we have nothing to show for it. We’re ready to give up. 

But then Jesus shows up. He reveals how he’s been working in my life, doing things I haven’t been able to see until now. He meets my needs. He redeems a bad situation.

And he proves he is Lord over everything.

Simon Peter and his companions obeyed Jesus’ instructions, and “when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break” (Luke 5:6 NIV).

Not only did they catch enough fish for themselves, but God also gave them enough to share with other fishermen.

When Jesus joined their efforts, they caught more fish in 10 minutes than they had in the previous 10 hours. God turned a setback into a comeback.

So I may be frustrated because of setback after setback in life. I may be tired and discouraged, wondering if things can ever get back on track. And I can empathize with Simon Peter’s frustration.

Well my comeback may be just around the corner.

Even if I can’t see it yet, God is working in my life, transforming bad into good, turning my setback into a comeback.

When All Hope Is Lost, Believe God’s Promises

In Hebrews 11:17-18 it says, “While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!” (TLB)

Hope starts dying when you hear yourself say “never”: “I’ll never get this, I’ll never get that, or it seems it will never happen.”

I’m not alone. One of the greatest heroes of faith in the Bible, Abraham, felt like that.

Romans 4:18 tells us, “Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become ‘the father of many nations.’ He relied on the word of God which definitely referred to ‘your descendants’” (Phillips).

What do you do when hope dies and you’re ready to give up? Like Abraham I need to rely on what God has promised. Where do I turn when everything in me feels like doubting God? I turn to God’s Word. To become a person of faith, I need God’s Word in me.

Notice the Bible says that Abraham “relied on God’s Word.” Nothing is more reliable than God’s Word!

Even when Abraham faced his biggest test—God asking him to sacrifice his son—he relied on God’s promises.

“While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!” (Hebrews 11:17-18 TLB).

After Abraham and Sarah waited years for a child, God gave them Isaac. And then God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

Abraham didn’t panic. The Bible shows three ways Abraham responded in faith:

1). Abraham believed God could and would raise his son from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).

2). Abraham told his servant, “We’ll be back,” not, “I’ll be back” as he and Isaac headed up the hill for the sacrifice (Genesis 22:5).

3). When Isaac asked Abraham, “Where is the lamb we will sacrifice?” Abraham answered, “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:8).

Abraham believed the promises of God. He knew God would either spare his son or resurrect him.

What I’m learning is that when all hope seems lost, I need to put my hope in God. “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5 NLT).