Perspective In Pain Series

One day an old man was casually walking along a country lane with his dog and his mule. Suddenly, a speeding pick-up truck careened around the corner, knocking the man, his mule, and his dog into the ditch.

The old man decided to sue the driver of the truck, seeking to recoup the cost of the damages. While the old man was on the stand, the counsel for the defense cross-examined the man by asking a simple question: “I want you to answer 'yes' or 'no' to the following question: Did you or did you not say at the time of the accident that you were ‘perfectly fine’”?

The man said, “Well, me and my dog and my mule were walking along the road…”

And the counsel for defense said, “Stop, stop, I asked you, tell me 'yes' or 'no', did you say you were 'perfectly fine' at the time of the accident?”

“Well, me and my dog and my mule were walking along the road and…”

The defense attorney appealed to the judge. “Your honor,” he said, “the man is not answering the question. Would you please insist that he answer the question?”

The judge said, “Well, he obviously wants to tell us something. Let him speak.”

So the man said, “Well, me and my dog and my mule were walking along the road and this truck came around the corner far too fast and knocked us into the ditch. The driver stopped, got out of his truck, saw that my dog was badly injured, went back to his truck, got his rifle, and he shot it. Then he saw that my mule had broken his leg, so he shot it. Then he said to me, ‘How are you?’ And I said, ‘I'm perfectly fine.’” (Charles Price, from the sermon “In the Beginning: The Creator at Work,” People's Church Toronto; www.PreachingToday.com)

Perspective is everything! When you get the bigger picture, you get the truth, which can help especially when you’re going through some hard times.

In these last days before Jesus comes, the Bible says, things will get worse before they get better. Jesus warned his followers that at the “end of the age”, “Many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:10-12). If that doesn’t describe our day, I don’t know what does.

Paul had a similar warning in 2 Timothy 3: “Understand this,” he said. “In the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

We are in those days, so don’t lose perspective! If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 2, 1 Thessalonians 2, where the Bible gives those who suffer some perspective.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (ESV)

Literally, which energizes you! Paul writes to the suffering believers in Thessalonica, telling them he is grateful, because they heard and accepted God’s Word, which was at work in them. That’s what gave them the perspective in their suffering. So if you want that same perspective...

LOOK WITHIN at the work God’s Word is doing in your life.

Look inside at the Bible’s energizing power in you. Focus on the change God’s Word is making to your own heart.

At the very least, hear God’s Word. Just read the Bible or listen to it.

When Elizabeth Barrett was a child, an accident crippled her for life. Her tyrannical father kept a close eye on her until she married Robert Browning in 1846. He did not approve of the marriage, so Elizabeth and Robert had a secret wedding.

After the wedding, the Brownings sailed to Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Her own parents disowned Elizabeth, but she never gave up on the relationship. Almost weekly, she wrote them letters. Not once did they reply. After 10 years, she received a large box in the mail. Inside, Elizabeth found all of her letters; not one had been opened.

Today, those letters are among the most beautiful in classical English literature. Had her parents read only a few of them, their relationship with Elizabeth might have been restored. (F. Winwar, The Immortal Lovers)