A Solid Anchor in the Midst of Suffering
A few years ago, Dr. Ankerberg interviewed Michael Easley and Joni Eareckson Tada for a series we entitled “Where is God When Life Hurts?” In this excerpt, our guests share a profound truth voiced by Michael Easley’s wife that can prove to be an anchor in your time of deep suffering.
Dr. John Ankerberg: Michael, there was a time when you sat on the couch with your wife, Cindy, and the tears were streaming down your face. But she said something to you that started the process of you coming out of depression. What did she say?
Dr. Michael Easley: When I hinted at this idea of I understood why people would take their lives, I asked her, “How do you do it?” Because she’s watching her husband, she’s helpless to do anything for me. And she paused for it seemed like three or four minutes, but probably a few seconds, and she closed her eyes. And then she looked at me and she said, “All I know is that God has been faithful to this very day. Why would He not be faithful tomorrow?” And that was just the fulcrum I needed to say, “Okay, Easley, do the next thing, just do the next thing. Don’t go down this hole because I know it doesn’t go anywhere good.” And that was one of the many incremental changes for me, John, to start getting out of that depression.
Joni Eareckson Tada: You know, Michael, the same thing happened to me. I mean, Cindy was there to speak truth into your life. And I think when people suffer, when they’re feeling alone and desperate, how wonderful it is to have someone to speak truth into your life. And there were Christian friends who came by my bedside and they brought pizza and they brought donuts, and they brought nail polish for my paralyzed hands, and they brushed my dirty hair. And they were the hands of Jesus.
And when people suffer, they just should not suffer alone. God never intended that hurting people should suffer alone. It’s why He created spiritual community; it’s why He created the Church. And there are Christians within reach of anyone who is hurting today. And it might take all your human effort to reach out to them and say, “I need help.” But that’s a good thing. I mean, it’s a wonderful thing to say, “Not only do I need help from God, I need help from His people.” And let them speak truth into your life: That indeed God is going to be there with you in that pain. He was wounded, Jesus was wounded with all your miseries so that He might be your merciful high priest and be your advocate before the Father and champion your cause and pour out His grace and infuse His peace and His power and perspective. All it takes is a step of faith, mustard seed size though it might be, it can be as small as you could possibly imagine. But God, my goodness, you give Him an inch, He’ll take a mile. And He’ll make so much of that step of faith on your part to infuse His hope and His encouragement. It takes time, but it’ll happen.
Dr. John Ankerberg: Michael, what would you advise the person that has had the big surprise, has listened to what we’ve said? How do they start?
Dr. Michael Easley: You have to come to the end of yourself. You have to recognize you’ve got to get help. You need someone to help you. And to tag on what Joni just said, you know, people are wired in the body to be helpers and it’s hard for self-sufficient people to accept that. And for some of us that’s more challenging than others, to ask for that help. But turning to Christ, He is the high priest. Humanity can only do so much, and they can do a lot. But deep in the core where we ache and nothing can address, deep in our hearts, deep in our head, when no one can quite get there with the right medication, Christ loves you. And He is that high priest, He is that perfect intercessor; and to put your trust in Him, to turn to Him, and He will not fail.
Editor’s note: As I read this interview I couldn’t help but be reminded of two wonderful verses from the Bible:
- Lamentations 3:22-23 – Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (emphasis added).
- 2 Timothy 2:10-13 – Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (emphasis added).
Excerpted from our series, “Where is God When Life Hurts?” Edited for publication. See complete series in our online store at jashow.org.
