2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be ignorant brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.9 Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely on God and not ourselves.
Step back and take a big picture look at how God has worked through the ages. The faithful have worked through afflictions, challenges and risks and God has delivered in ways that are beyond man. Way beyond man. God intentionally allows us to come to th eend of ourselves in order that we may come to Him more fully, seeking a greater dependence.
When you look at what Paul is saying in the verses above, it is clear that he thought he was going to be killed in Asia. The affliction that he felt wass for one purpose: to make he and his brothers in Christ rely on God and not themsleves. There focus was not on circumventing risk, mitigating it, or all together condemning it. Their focus was on following the God who can not take risks because He knows all times and all things before, during and after they happen. Paul states later in verse 10 that "On Him we have set our hope".
When I look at my own life, I can see a growth in my own faith as I look at God and not the affliction, challenge, pain, overwhelming task or hard road ahead. I also can see vast room for improvement in the same area as I often rely on myself and not God to figure it out. I need to pray more, praise more, proclaim more. I need to allow faith to change me in any circumstance as God has ordained them in my life and stop focusing on my ability to alleviate the circumstances.
The great men and women of faith in the bible looked at life altering risk dead in the eyes and said "My God is much bigger than this". That is faith. My hope is that God will grow me in my faith and you in yours. That will only become real as trials, afflictions and challenges are overcome in our lives, as our theology becomes a real and active fabric of our hearts as we walk by Faith and not by sight.
Heartwashed:
A condition that occurs when one of God's created beings is restored to its original design of reflecting the glory of God. God accomplishes this by removing a heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh. He then cleanses that heart of flesh with living pure waters of His Holiness. The process is completed when God plants the Love of Christ in His beings so that they then desire to live to carry out the will of God instead of rebelling against it. (Ezekiel 36)
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