Sermon On The Tribulations Of Life

Andy Rooney, an American television writer once remarked: “Almost all of us have an elevator or two in our lives somewhere. We wait for them, we ride on them. We're annoyed by the wait, but pleased with the lift.” Ezekiel 3:12 reminds us: “Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from its place!”

Lifts, or elevators as they are often referred to, are defined as a platform or compartment housed in a specifically designed shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. Archimedes is generally accredited as the person responsible for its invention in around 236 BC. The Ancient Egyptians often used a human-driven system of lifting, utilizing ropes and pulleys, to raise and lower quantities of mortar, various stones including limestone, granite and basalt combined with other associated requirements to carefully build the foundation and upper levels of their pyramids.

Life has often been compared to the principle functions of a lift, it is full of continual ups and downs. Good and bad things follow one another as regularly as the pattern of sleep and waking. Each day is different and totally unpredictable. We may plan a proposed course of events or actions to fill our day, only to find that certain changes have to be made to accommodate sudden interruptions or obstacles appearing in front of us.

Deviations regularly occur without expectation. Sometimes our only remaining course or action is acceptance of the inevitable. We may become annoyed or even frustrated at the delay, or forced change of action of our predefined intentions, but at the end of the day, there is little one can do to forestall them.

When things go wrong, acknowledgment of the situation is usually the first step, but how we cope with it is probably of more importance. If we are unable to cope alone, we may become reliant on another and feel completely at their mercy. In situations like these, calmness and trust often remain the only order of the day to avoid confrontation or escalation of an aggravated situation.

Compassion, and understanding the trials of others in their endeavors to help, may need to be fomented in particularly arduous situations. Ephesians 4:32 confirms: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

A story is told of a young busy couple who were seeking a loan from a finance company to purchase a new car. The car was considered their joy and dream in life and they really yearned to own it. The loan company was situated on the twelfth floor of a high-rise office block situated in the center of a large town and accommodating a conglomerate of different businesses. They had specifically been requested by the company to arrive promptly, as their time was limited due to the pressure of work. The appointment was scheduled for 11:00, but due to heavy traffic conditions, the couple arrived at the building with only a few minutes to spare before the allotted appointment time. They rushed into the foyer, went to the lifts but, to their dismay, found two of the three provided to be out of order. They pushed the call button to summon the only remaining lift in operation. It was a busy time of day and the lift took several minutes to arrive.

They repeatedly pushed the button in an attempt to speed the process up, but failed in their endeavors. This caused severe agitation and frustration. Eventually, the lift arrived, they entered it and pushed the button for the twelfth floor. The doors closed and the lift began its ascent. It reached midway between the third and fourth floors where it unfortunately came to a sudden halt. The man tried pushing the button again repeatedly, to no avail. The lift was completely unresponsive. Eventually, he was left with no option but to push the alarm button and wait. Several minutes later, a muffled voice was heard from the floor above informing the couple that he was the janitor for the building and would attempt to force the lift doors open for them.

After a few minutes, to the relief of the occupants, the doors opened and they were helped out of the lift, slightly bedraggled, but in one piece. The couple thanked him profusely for the provision of freedom. The janitor asked them where they were heading and was told the twelfth floor. He informed them that as no other lifts were in operation, they would have to use the stairs. 2 Timothy 2:15 reminds us: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” They climbed the stairs to the twelfth floor with anxiety in their hearts. They apologized and explained to the financial representative, the predicament that had caused their lateness and were eventually successful in their application for the loan. Their hearts were uplifted, their anxiety resolved. Joe Girard, an American salesman, motivational speaker and author once remarked: “The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.” Proverbs 12:25 confirms: “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”