Whatever It Takes, Lord

Several years ago, I wrote about the hardest prayer to pray. You can read more here.

I find myself revisiting the hardest prayer to pray on a regular basis these days. What is the hardest prayer to pray?

Whatever it takes, Lord. 

Let’s really think about that. Am I willing to pray whatever it takes in the really hard days of adultery and divorce?

If I’m honest, no. I wasn’t spiritually mature enough to have that prayer in my vocabulary. But, I’ve found myself uttering those words on more than one occasion over the years.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes I pray that prayer for myself, desperate for a deeper walk with God, desperate to experience Him in a deeper more intimate manner. Sometimes I pray that prayer over someone I love, begging God to do His work in that person’s life. Sometimes, I simply have to walk with someone who is experiencing the whatever it takes in their life.

When I talk to the woman whose spouse has had an affair, I often ask the question. Are you willing to go through this, willing to experience whatever it takes, to see God bring your spouse to salvation?

To the person walking the painful road of divorce. Are you willing to experience whatever it takes to have a deeper walk with God?

To the parent of a prodigal child, I might ask, “Are you willing to let God work whatever it takes?”

To the man facing a devastating diagnosis, are you willing to walk through whatever it takes to gain a new faith?

In short, I ask if people are willing to experience the tough times, the lowest of lows, in exchange for what God does in our lives through the trials of this life.

I ask if they truly believe Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

I ask if they truly believe God’s character, that He is good even when life is not.

I ask if they are willing to fall down and worship as Job did when He lost everything.

Here’s the thing: Life is hard. Jesus promised we would have trouble in this life. But He also promised to walk with us through those trials (2 Corinthians 4:6-10). He promised He is greater than the one in the world and He has already overcome (1 John 4:4). He promised that the trials of life work to conform us to His image (James 1:2-5).

When you find yourself (or someone you love) in the midst of the whatever it takes of this life, here are a few truths you can cling to.

God’s character is unchanging. God is good. God is kind. God is generous. God is looking for your ultimate good. Whether the days are good or bad, you can trust His character. He is faithful and true.

When my kids lost their dad, I will never forget telling someone, “He is faithful, forever and always.” That was true then and it is true now. It was true in the desert and it is true in the Promised Land. It does not matter what this life brings our way; He is still God, still good.

God’s purposes are accomplished through our tests. If you live long enough, you will be able to look back on life and see how the trials and tests of this life have molded you into His image. I know God has taken my most difficult days and used them to touch lives around the world. I am so grateful for His grace in the toughest days!

This world needs bold examples of faith, faith that stands even through the toughest of days. This world needs testimonies of those who chose to remain faithful and walk through the fire with God at their side. This world needs Christians who can trust Him even in the midst of the whatever it takes. 

God is still working even when you can’t see it. As a matter of fact, God often does His greatest work with the trials of this life as a backdrop. Sometimes faith is hard–really hard. Sometimes it is difficult to cling to the hope God is still alive, still working, when life appears He is dead and gone.

One thing I can promise is that hindsight is 20/20. You may not see His hand right now. You may not see how He is working to bring about your good and His glory. But I can promise you this: He is working. One day when you get to the other side of the whatever it takes, you will see His hand so intricately woven into every detail.

Are you facing the whatever it takes? If so, take heart. God is at work in your midst!