Have you ever asked the question “why is this happening to me?” Many of us have asked that question when we are going through difficult times in our lives. We ask God why is this happening? Why do I need to go through this? I like to call the tough times in our lives desert experiences. Both Mathew and Luke record Jesus’ time in the desert at the beginning of His ministry. Jesus spent 40 days alone, in the desert, abstaining from food, noise and any distractions. Jesus used this time in the desert to get closer to God. Often times when we are in a desert in life, we focus so much on our situation that we miss what God has for us. Maybe the question shouldn’t be why is this happening to me, but what are you trying to teach me or how can I grow as a result of this?
If our perspective is right this is what can happen in our desert experiences:
- We can recognize that God will sometimes lead us into seasons of growth.
- We can fight battles and overcome temptation to take shortcuts.
- We learn discipline and to depend on God.
- We are broken of self-sufficiency and self-promotion.
- We find our mission or purpose.
- We gain a new perspective.
- We are prepared for the next phase of our vocation, ministry or calling.
God will often use the difficult times in our lives to chip away at the rough edges and develop our character. The main thing God wants from us is our love and dependence on Him. When we work through the difficulties and issues of life with our focus on God and not our problems we can emerge from the desert with new life and energy. Often times God works through people and when we reach out to the right people in times of difficulty we can learn, grow and change.