"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;"— 2 Cor 6:4
Reflecting on my personal life journey, as the youngest boy with 3 older sisters, raised in a traditional Chinese family where boys are favored over girls, I can be brutally honest in saying that I had a reasonably carefree life growing up, compared with my 3 older sisters, receiving a lion's share of our parents' love and love of my older siblings too. As a result, I became a self-centered young boy, with frequent temper tantrums and generally avoided any form of hardship in life, including avoiding doing the school assignments or studying for tests and exams, in my immature and darkened mind, which had yet to encounter the Holy Presence of the Living God. I pursued any form of human philosophy or beliefs that promised a short-cut to success or wealth and often relied on short-cuts to achieve my fleeting goals of achieving a good degree, finding a beautiful life partner, blazing a successful career path, and ruthlessly stepped on anyone or anything just to get my way done. To be brutally honest, I wasn't a very pleasant person to be around or be married to, but my darkened mind kept blaming others for the troubles I landed myself in as a result of foolish choices.
But the ever-living and Almighty God knew the exact remedy for this Hell-bent soul and permitted a life-threatening medical emergency, an acute right-brain stroke at the age of 33 (the same age that the Son of God was Crucified), to make me take a necessary pause in my young adulthood's relentless pursuit of fleeting trophies. It was the Circuit Breaker in my brain that changed my trajectory in life, to finally recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, and was even adopted into His Divine Family with a common Loving ABBA Father in Heaven. Becoming a Christian didn't miraculously transform my character, as I was still that self-centered young man with an aversion to pain, and even raised angry fists to Heaven, accusing our Heavenly Father of bringing misery into my life, when they were the consequences of poor choices I had made in life.
However, that single Salvific Act of Grace by God had irrevocably altered my eternal destiny, from a Hell-bound and tormented soul, to a child of God, whom God deems as fit to dine at His Royal Banquet in Heaven. So that today, I can join St. Paul in declaring, "as God's co-workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain… as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger... " (2 Cor 6:1, 4-5).
I learn to embrace the hardships our Almighty God permitted, including a mental health issue (clinical depression), a physical disability (noticeable limp in my steps), or any other trials to come, as part of His Divine remedies to purify my heart, mind and soul to be fit for Heaven. Amen.
I will close with this beautiful hymn penned by Horatio Gates Spafford (1828-1888), "It Is Well With My Soul", over the heart-breaking spot where 4 of his beloved daughters had sunk to the bottom of the sea together with the ill-fated passengers of the Ville du Havre.
Verse 1
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll:
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain
It is well, it is well,
With my soul, with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Verse 2
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)
Verse 3
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.
(Refrain)
Verse 4
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)
Reflection on 2 Corinthians 6:1-11 by Chris Tan
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