There was a young woman in her early thirties who was a wife and a mother. She was very dedicated to her family and a Christian worker. Yet inside, she found herself in a bad way. She was beginning to take a trip downward. She was heading for a certain kind of breakdown that some of us experience in life: the breakdown of her stubbornness and self-sufficiency. This woman had experienced some unexpected downturns in her life. She realized she couldn’t handle everything alone like she thought.
Finally, she hit the bottom—the rock-bottom of it all. It turns out that she understood that there was a relief to this experience in the form of Christ. Jesus Christ was the rock on which she hit bottom. Being cast upon Christ, and casting all her cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7), she began to rebuild her life. She rebuilt herself as someone who was dependent upon God, rather than the person she had been. Hitting rock-bottom was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to her, and to us. Most people don’t realize how much they need the Savior until they have hit rock-bottom. It becomes a vital turning point in our spiritual development.
Most people do not feel so spiritual when they hit the bottom. Some even become more miserable when they see Christians who are supposed to care but in reality take a very narrow and shortsighted view of the difficulties that the sufferer is having and why he or she is suffering. Our Heavenly Father is very pleased that for us He can make something out of nothing. He can bring joy in the midst of a painful process.
In Psalm 119:71, we read the following: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” The Psalmist is essentially saying to God, “Be good to me in accordance with how good you are; even if it means being afflicted in life. Your affliction is good for me. It teaches me knowledge and good judgment from your law.” Now isn’t that the attitude we should have and project to others? Christ is a firm foundation, especially when we have reached rock-bottom. God loves you, and so do I.
