Day 18 :: When the Truth is Hard to Hear

The day we found out Mason had Down Syndrome, I wanted nothing more than for the Doctor to tell me it wasn't true.  Or at least tell me that he wouldn't have any of the medical problems associated with Down Syndrome.

On days when my children disobey time after time, break yet another lamp {does anyone else have children that repeatedly break lamps??}, and I struggle to see value in my role as a mom, I would love nothing more than for someone to say, "Don't worry.  Tomorrow it will be better.  Your children will never break another lamp and it will all be better in the morning."

When my brother died suddenly a few years ago, it was hard to hear things like, "God is good.  He's going to use this for His glory.  My friend heard about your brother's testimony and is now walking with the Lord.  Isn't God so good?"

Hard truth.  God is good, even when people are dying, relationships are broken, children are disobeying, my life is spiraling out of control?

The truth is, as much as I would love to hear beautiful promising things, or things that make me 'feel better', the best thing for me when the truth is hard to hear is for me to hear the truth of God's Word.

How do we do this?

1. Petition God.  One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to 'guide us into all truth.' {John 16:13}.  When the truth is hard to hear, or we don't want to hear it, we need to ask God to help us to believe His truth.  We can't do it on our own, but we can ask Him to open our eyes and hearts to understand the truth, even when it doesn't make sense.

Allow people to pray with you, even those who might be trying to speak truth into your life.

2. Pour out your heart to God.  Yes, again prayer!  But, a different kind of praying.  As we ask God to help us believe the truth, we can tell Him how we feel.  He already knows {Psalm 139:4}.

One of the things I love about the Psalms, is the openness and honesty of David as he talks with God.  Time and time again he shares his thoughts and feelings, good and bad, with the Lord.  Sometimes it's surprising the things he says to God.  But, he always turns his thoughts back toward God.  

Psalm 42 is an excellent example of this,

"My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?' These things I remember as I pour out my soul...Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

Psalm 42:3-5

3. Perk up your ears.  {I had to keep the alliteration going!}.  In other words, listen.  Listen to God's Word, pour yourself into the Scriptures, find verses that speak truth about God and fill your heart and mind with those things.  You might not find answers to your struggles, but you will find great power and comfort in the One who walks with you through your struggles.

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." James 1:19

4. Practice what you hear.  This is where it gets really tough sometimes.  But we can't stop with listening.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves...but the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

James 1:22,25

It might not happen instantaneously, but we must obey God's Word.  

He gives us grace to do it.

There is power to obey as we are near to Christ.

He can help us to rejoice in difficulty because we know that we will grow closer to Him.

Will you allow your heart to listen to truth today?

To see a list of other posts in this series go here.