By Michael Chen, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley
What were some ways in which God has redeemed painful experiences in my life “for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it?”  Are there any hopeless situations in my life through which Jesus may be glorified?

When I think about how Mary & Martha must have felt not being able to do anything about their brothers death as they watched him suffer, I’m reminded of myself standing by my father’s hospital bed fifteen years ago as he was dying of cancer. I remember the countless nights asking God why he let such a thing happen to my dad. Mary & Martha’s cries to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” are so similar to my cries to Jesus as a child. After Lazarus’ death, Jesus did not impede on Mary & Martha’s grief and tell them to stop crying, but rather, he grieved with them because he loved them and understood their pain. Looking at the big picture, my Lord walked with me and guided me my entire life knowing my pain and grief. As I grew up, God was able to use me to speak to people whether in the mission field or at school. One verse in particular comforted me growing up, Psalm 68:5 says that “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Even when I’ve been the least faithful, He remained faithful in times of grief & suffering so that I could glorify Him and encourage & bless others so that they may see God’s glory in my own life.

In present days, when I face many different hopeless situations like falling to addictions or failing to love others, God knows my pain when I do what I don’t want to do. A recent example of seemingly hopeless situations for me includes choosing to spend time on the internet and consuming media, even though I’ve made commitments to reduce my time on such distractions in order to spend more time with people. I know I’ve had problems spending too much time on the computer in the past, and finding myself lacking self-control and breaking my commitments just seems devastating. However, rather than feel depressed or self-pitiful, I know I need to humble myself and repent for my selfishness and entitlement to time. Because of grace, Jesus is willing to take me back in, even though I stray from him. With accountability and confession, by faith, and by the Spirit, I am able to overcome addictions and temptations one step at a time. If I pray and have faith in him and take the proper steps to repentance, God is able to use every victory for his glory.