Some phrases spoken in hard circumstances remind us of comforting truth. But when we use those same statements to numb our emotions, we’re apt to get stuck in our pain and circumstances. The cliché Kathy discusses below is one of those well-intended, but at times, ineffective, lines.
Biblical Concerns with ‘This Too Shall Pass’
by Kathy Collard Miller
Have you ever considered a trials and found comfort in thinking, “This too will pass”?
That phrase may sound benign enough, but I’m wondering if it leaves out God in some way. Because, at least for me, it supports in my heart an attitude of, “I’ll just grin and bear it until this trial goes away.” It doesn’t support James 1:2-4: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (ESV*).
See if the following ideas support the truth of James 1: 2-4:
1. Recognize how “grin and bear it” leaves out God. I became aware of how I was leaving out God with that attitude years ago. As I struggled to trust God for his provision of joy and contentment in the midst of being my mother-in-law’s caregiver, I often mentally recited, “This too will pass.” And then on the heels of that thought came, “If I just knew how much longer Audrey was going to live, I could be more patient and kind.” I was thinking I could be more patient because I would be gritting my teeth, just waiting for the trial to end. But that’s not depending upon God.
2. Choose active joy, not passivity. “This too will pass” is very passive. It allows circumstances to dictate our responses, rather than looking to God for our joy.
James 1: 2-4 contains active and “being aware” words, not closing our eyes to God’s help. Being active is when we pay attention to the purposes of difficulties. Problems can become God’s vehicle to growth. That can’t happen if we’re closing our eyes to what God wants to do.
3. Be aware moment by moment. In the midst of caring for my mother-in-law, I examined that phrase, “This too will pass,” more deeply. I saw that I wasn’t living in real time but in the future when things were guaranteed to get better. But there’s no guarantee life will get better. Life doesn’t become perfect until we enter heaven. Each moment and day of our lives is an opportunity to see God’s love strengthen us.
No wonder God doesn’t tell us the future. If we knew a trial was going to last a long time, we’d give up. If we knew a trial was going to be short-lived, we would grin and bear it. We’re supposed to relax in God’s power moment by moment, depending upon Him, allowing him to provide all we need. And then He’ll receive the glory, not us.
Those three truths began to transform my thinking. No longer was I depending upon my limited knowledge and my strategy of passivity, but I was seeking God more passionately and seeing his hand of provision. I became more patient with my mother-in-law and saw how God was doing a work in me.
When my mom-in-law departed for heaven, I knew I hadn’t been perfect, but I knew God had transformed my life in the now, not just in “the sweet by and by.” That was affirmed when a short time later I became the main caregiver for my own mother. God took what He’d taught me and applied it to this new challenge. God never wastes anything; but we won’t see that if we’re just grinning and bearing it.
Get to know Kathy Collard Miller
About the author: Kathy Collard Miller loves to help women trust God more through her 60 books and her speaking in over 30 states and 9 foreign countries. She is the author of the “Daughters of the King Bible Study Series” including, God’s Heart for Your Marriage, appropriate for individual, couple, and group study. Kathy and her husband, Larry, who married in 1970, live in Boise, Idaho, and are parents of 2 and grandparents of 2.
Scripture taken from *The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.
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