Don't command away what God seeks to develop character

Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,

“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I have always read this with a presupposition or pre set idea of what Paul was saying. WE ARE CONQUERORS IN JESUS!!! No situation will stand against His might! Sickness be gone! Finances get in order! In Jesus name........

But is that what he is saying? That our life's will be made easier or right in our context? He seems to be asking more questions than solutions!

He says, "If God is for us, who is against us?", but then follows it up with, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" he answers with another question and it involves Him give His own son over to death!

Then he says, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?", but again follows it up with, "Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,

“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

Another question with a stark reality of suffering! Not a fixing of the situation, not a answer that would make this life easier, just a reality that in this world there will be suffering. Jesus said that we would be persecuted because he was first persecuted! But that doesn't fit our quick fix, genie in a bottle theology does it?

He then says, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Maybe the most important thing Paul is exposing here isn't that God will change our situations every time we ask, but that the love of God many times will change us through circumstances.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a doom and gloomier and I am very Pentecostal......but I am waking up to the reality that God is more concerned with developing the character of Christ in me......and not the superhero cartoon character we have made HIM to be.

- Posted in the moment