Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. (James 5:13)

I BEGAN GIVING CONSIDERATION to becoming a Christian when I was seventeen years old. The reason is that I was told that if I would accept Jesus Christ, all my problems and troubles would disappear. God would take them away. Coming from a dysfunctional home made the thought of becoming trouble free very appealing. The continual fighting was emotionally draining for my brothers and me. Enduring times when we were slapped and punched made it physically painful as well.

One Wednesday evening when the tensions in my home reached an all-time high, I decided that I had had enough. I ran to my friend’s house, which was five miles away, and cried out, “Andy, I can’t take this anymore. I want to become a Christian so my life will be free from all the pain and anguish I am presently experiencing.”

Andy kindly replied, “Jim, if the only reason you want to be a Christian is to be devoid of trouble, you are going to be very disappointed. Even Christians have problems. The difference is that Christians can call upon God to help them to get through those tough times.”

I have been a believer now for over forty-four years. Although my life has not been free from trouble, God has faithfully walked with me in and through each situation I have faced.

When troubles come your way, call on God to help you.

Jim “Umf” Lo is the coauthor of Unholiness: Overcoming the Forces That Attack Your Soul.

© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.