Considering His Gifts

Our demeanor as Christian believers should ideally be reflective of the hope within us - Christ in us, the hope of glory, as Colossians 1 states. We can even rejoice when we suffer, according to Romans chapter 5:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

In the life of a believer, we can be confident that we cannot be utterly defeated because ultimately, because we know Jesus, we belong to Him and we will be with Him forever. Even in this life, we can walk with a sense of His victory and rejoice because of His presence with us.  We can continue to be thankful, even in our suffering. He is our hope, the One who sustains us and encourages our hearts as we draw near to Him.

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There will be challenges and even disappointments in life, but we can also recognize that God is at work and we can learn in and through the midst of those tough times. In 2nd Corinthians 4, Paul writes:

8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--

Later in the chapter, we can read:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Nicole Weider is a former Victoria's Secret model whose life and career changed dramatically after she gave her life to Christ. She is a communicator who shares truth consistent with a Christian perspective, and has been involved in Christian film. She is quoted in a Movieguide article that included quotes from a 2015 CBN interview.  Weider shared:

“I gave my life to Christ when I was 23, and it was the best decision I ever made,” Weider said. “After I gave my life to God I felt a renewed sense of hope, and I felt like my dignity was back in my heart. I started journaling about my love for God and my experiences in the modeling industry, and pretty soon after I gave my life to God, He put in my heart a desire to create a website for teenage girls to share pieces of my testimony on there and to be a light to girls and to warn them about the dangers of the Hollywood industry and about the modeling industry.”

As a result, Weider released a book and a website under the same name, “Project Inspired,” to help teenage girls avoid her experiences in the industry and turn to God instead.

Last fall, it was announced that Weider had stage 4 breast cancer. Another Movieguide article related: "She has been open about her diagnosis and frequently asks followers to pray..." The article cited an Instagram post, in which she said, “'YOUR PRAYERS ARE WORKING!!'" She posted:

“She [the oncologist] said ‘wow’ And ‘fabulous’ and was surprised herself! Thank you please keep praying for me that the cancer cells die and are totally removed from my body and eventually I’ll be NED!! (No evidence of disease)...

And, according to yet another Movieguide piece, her cancer ordeal has caused her to think more deeply about her policies regarding her two children's access to technology.  She posted:

“Yesterday I watched a video of a person talking about how millennials are the last generation to experience what true boredom represents and I agree,” she wrote on Instagram, citing the anticipation of dial-up internet and waiting for movies and music to be released.

Weider continued, “I feel bad and worried for gen alpha (my kids) and the generations after because of the increased individualism in our country with the overflowing amount of things to occupy their mind, advertising to them all day long to want more, and create the need for constant stimulation without having the ability to just be bored and do nothing and lay on their bed. And also, kids are spending less time playing together in person and more time just connecting online which isn’t as nourishing (I think) as in person.”

Nicole certainly appreciates God's gift of motherhood. That article notes that she said on Instagram, “I thank God for the blessing of motherhood, for the opportunity to shape their lives with love, faith, and values. It is my prayer that I can continue to walk this path with unwavering faith and that God’s grace will continue to guide us and keep us in His loving arms.”  She added:

“Going through cancer treatment of course has me contemplating the future of our kids and our family more than ever. BUT I’m so thankful the cancer is shrinking and I’m praying I’ll be in remission in a few months!!” she wrote in a recent social media post. “When things get hard, Elijah and Elodie will grow up knowing they can rely on God and they have their faith. Because hard times will inevitably come as we are in right now.”

We can consider the gifts that God has given to us - the gift of salvation, the gift of living each day, the gift of family, the gift of time.  So much that our Father has given to us - truly He is, as Chris Tomlin sang, a "Good, Good Father."  We can be challenged to take the time to consider His gifts and develop a greater sense of thankfulness, which can bring joy to our souls. 

And, even in our suffering, we can view all that comes into our lives as being ordained by a sovereign God.  So, in a sense, suffering is a gift.  We can be grateful in our suffering, and reliant on our Savior, who is performing His purposes in our lives.  When life seems to be the darkest, we can press into the light of Jesus.