Cliches to hold on to, or faith to overcome in the middle of a storm. I will discuss some old and some new sayings in some Christian circles. Good intentions do not make things work, and even your faith does not always remove every mountain just because you quote it.
So often, Christians say many cliches such as, “God is never late, never early, but right on time. Or God knows what is best for you. When God closes a door, He opens a window.”
This last one suggests that every setback is an opportunity for something better, but sometimes there is no open window at all. The closed door may be a difficult reality to face.
“Everything happens for a reason.”
While this can be a way of finding meaning in a difficult situation, it can also minimize the pain and suffering that you are experiencing at that moment. You find out later that the pain is real, long-lasting and seems to never end. Reality.
“God helps those who help themselves.”
This quote, often attributed to the Bible, is actually a misquote and can imply that people’s suffering is their own fault and that God only helps those who are already doing well.
I like, “Let go and let God.”
This phrase suggests passivity, and while it can be a reminder to trust in God’s plan, it can also be used to avoid taking responsibility or making difficult decisions.
But what does the Bible say?
1st Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out (escape) so that you can endure it.”
This lends to responsibility on the part of the sinner in need of repentance in their temptation. It also means that He is faithful, and we must trust Him to help us overcome and use the escape routes He provides. It is HIS lifeline thrown to us from His ship amid the waves of the boiling seas in life. If we grab hold of it, then we live. If we do not, then we can suffer the consequences it brings.
Drowning in sin is the only drowning that leaves you with air to breathe. It makes you sick, yet in the sickness we return to our own vomit out of desires and flesh-driven motives.
I ought to know.
“God won’t give you more than you can handle.”
Really?
Even as a believer in Jesus, we suffer in this life as He promised about the tribulations and trials that will happen to us. “Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” Jesus tells the truth about the reality of this life on earth. He does not candy-coat or justify a sick world full of sin and degradation. “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Matthew 3:2.
This call to repentance signifies an inward change of heart and mind, a turning away from sin, and turning toward God, with the understanding that God’s reign and kingdom are near or already present through Jesus Christ.
Now understand this. We should not be an advocate for pain because life gives us all our share and more at times. I am a believer that there can be purpose in my personal pain, as I have lived my share of horrible disasters from childhood to today.
I am who I am because of a scripture I have lived through and trusted for 47 years since I gave my heart to Jesus at age 21 while in prison.
2 Timothy 2: 3-4, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
This passage goes on to tell another truth.
Knowing we are not crowned in athletics unless we compete according to the rules.
Life has rules, and I was a rule breaker when I was young.
I did my first burglary at 12, and then it escalated into drug addiction, and armed robbery by age 16. I had issues, obviously.
Better late than never is more than a cliche to me.
Moments, literally five seconds before I threw myself over the third tier of the cell block, I lived on, Jesus Christ rescued me and saved my soul some 45 minutes later in the chapel inside this maximum-security prison in Texas.
The Holy Ghost was revealing His love to me earlier in the wee hours of the morning, but even that was not going to stop me from diving off thirty feet to my demise.
Jesus arrested me moments before that dive and saved my soul. Better late than never has significant meaning to me.
Case in point in reference to God and His perfect timing.
I had been preaching for nine years in a row at a Federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon.
Every Wednesday evening for nine years. I only missed a handful of meetings due to being on a mission trip but always had a fellow minister take my place when I was traveling.
Victor was a Hispanic man who came to the service I conducted for all those nine years.
His outward appearance had many tattoos all the way up his neck to his ears, and both arms covered in ink. Mostly Gang affiliation tattoos, signifying his allegiance to the gang.
He sat against the back wall in the Chapel. He always brought his Bible and notepad. I watched him periodically and I could see he took notes from the preaching I was doing.
He never came forward for prayer. He never shook my hand or made much of an effort to even make eye contact with me. This went on for nine years, every Wednesday evening.
By all intents and purposes, Victor had the appearance of a Christian. He would raise his hands during worship with his eyes closed at times. He would bow his head when I did the altar invitation but never tried to come forward for himself or for anyone else.
Week in week out. Year in year out Victor was a faithful attendee to this Chapel service and others that were conducted by other Christian ministries. He stacked chairs when the events were over and gave a helping hand around the Chapel when needed.
Finally, the day came when I announced that I was moving to Texas from Oregon soon, and the following Wednesday would be my last service after nine years.
I preached my last message and did the alter invitation.
Out of nowhere and to my surprise, Victor came forward with tears in his eyes. Alligator tears streaming down his tattooed face with a sincere regretful heart full of pain.
Victor shared with me after the service that he had never felt conviction from the Lord during all those years I was there preaching. He stated that he wanted to be saved, but that he wanted God to save him, not a man.
He went on to share how he never had any remorse or guilt for his crimes until that very evening during the altar invitation.
“It was like God arrested me, Joe.” His exact words.
I can attest to that feeling when Jesus arrested me back in 1977. Jesus was right-on time. He was for Victor this evening.
Victor was getting out of prison soon, and he wrote me a letter.
“Dear Joe, I am being released in a few weeks, and I am going to go to Los Angeles to be a part of Victory Outreach Ministries there. They have offered me a place to live and work within the ministry.”
He went on to say that what God did for him through the message I preached was like “God was speaking only to me that night.”
He asked me if I could help him with some clothes so he could look normal when leaving prison.
My mother-in-law and my wife went with me to buy him some clothes, according to the sizes he mentioned in his letter to me.
We bought him Stacy Adams shoes, size 10, and grey slacks and a beautiful button up shirt that made his outfit look reasonable and nice.
My mother-in-law sent this package to the prison (per Victor’s information in my letter) and the return address was a P.O. Box address with no name or any way to trace the package due to security reasons within the prison. We followed protocol for the safety and security of the prison.
Everything worked out.
A few weeks passed, and while at work at the church in Portland, I received a call from Victor. He knew the name of the church and that I was on staff, so he called me.
“Hey Pastor Joe, I am in Portland at the airport getting ready to fly to Los Angeles. Could you and Pastor Reed come and pray for me?”
Absolutely I said, and we got into the church van and headed to the airport.
You should have seen Victor.
Decked out in his grey slacks and silk shirt with those alligator and snake Stacy Adam shoes. He was a sight to see. Looked like a businessman except for a few things that were very noticeable.
His tattoos were pretty obvious, but it would take an ex-felon like me to identify his ink as gang related. Well, the Police could too.
Standing in the airport was Victor as we approached him. He was smiling from ear to ear as we embraced him and prayed for him and his future.
We looked down as his carry-on luggage, (or lack thereof) and noticed something.
He was carrying the Federal Prison issue fish-net bag, bright white with all of his personal effects in it.
