I’m sorry for the shock and awe of the title of this post. If you read my last post, “The Promise Is Still There” this will help provide some additional context for what you are about to read.
I found myself saying something recently that honestly caught me off guard.
“Life sucks.”
The words came out of my mouth, and almost immediately, I was appalled that I had said them. Not because I don’t understand difficult seasons. Not because life has been easy. But because the statement didn’t seem to reflect what I actually believe.
So I’ve spent some time reflecting on it.
The truth is, I don’t actually believe life sucks…
At least not entirely.
A few nights ago, I had a late-night phone call with one of my best friends, Aaron Nelson. I sent him the mash-up of Mister Rogers singing Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood set to the background music of House of the Rising Sun by the Animals. (Listen to it here) He replied with a chuckle and said, “You up for a phone call?” Aaron is one of the select few, if asking for a 10:41 PM phone call, I’d say yes to, so we talked about life, family, faith, struggles, and everything in between. Somewhere in that conversation, we both acknowledged something we’ve been sensing lately. A spiritual warfare that feels so thick right now that it is almost tangible. Not just the normal spiritual warfare, but something more.
It’s difficult to explain.
There seems to be a heaviness in the air. A gloom. A weariness that many people are carrying. What’s interesting is that Aaron and I aren’t the only ones talking about it. I’ve had similar conversations with friends from completely different circles—people who don’t interact with each other, people in different stages of life, people facing different challenges. Yet the theme keeps surfacing.
Something feels off.
People are tired.
Discouraged.
Frustrated.
And sometimes, if we’re being honest, we find ourselves saying things like, “Life sucks.”
I’ve always been the kind of person who follows that statement with another one:
“Life sucks… but God is good.”
That’s an important distinction, and that is why I was thrown off when I said Life sucks” because it was not preceded by a follow-up thought. It did not have the full truth with it.
Sometimes life does suck.
People get sick.
Relationships break.
Bills pile up.
Dreams fall apart.
Prayers seem unanswered.
The world around us feels increasingly broken.
And pretending those things aren’t real doesn’t make us more faithful.
Scripture certainly doesn’t teach us to ignore pain.
David didn’t.
Read through the Psalms and you’ll find a man who regularly poured out his frustration, confusion, fear, and sorrow before God. He asked hard questions. He cried out when life hurt. He lamented. He grieved.
Yet over and over again, David returned to the same conclusion: God was still faithful.
The Bible is full of people who acknowledged the reality of suffering while maintaining their trust in God.
Job did. (Job 13:15, Job 1:21)
Jeremiah did. (Lamentations 3:21-22, Lamentations 3:19)
Paul did. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
Even Jesus wept.
Faith isn’t pretending everything is fine.
Faith is trusting God when everything isn’t fine.
That’s why I’ve become comfortable with the phrase:
“Life sucks… but God is good.”
Because both statements can be true at the same time.
We live in a broken world.
Sin has left scars on creation.
People hurt people.
Bodies fail.
Death exists.
Evil is real.
And all of that can create seasons that simply… suck.
That’s not a lack of faith. That’s reality.
The good news is that our hope was never meant to be rooted in today’s circumstances.
As Christians, we’re actually promised that life will be difficult.
Jesus told His followers:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Notice, he didn’t say we might have trouble.
He said we will.
The Christian life isn’t a promise of comfort. It’s a promise of Christ’s presence through the discomfort.
Our ultimate promise isn’t for today.
It’s for eternity.
It’s the promise that one day every tear will be wiped away.
One day, suffering will end.
One day, broken things will be restored.
One day, the spiritual heaviness we feel now will be gone forever.
Until then, we keep walking.
We keep trusting.
We keep praying.
We keep hoping.
And when we find ourselves in seasons where life feels overwhelming, it’s okay to admit that things are hard.
It’s okay to say life sucks.
Just don’t stop there.
Remember the second half of the sentence.
Life sucks…
But God is good.
And that changes everything.
If you are reading this and finding a hard time completing the sentence with, “but God is good.” please note that you have a God who loves you, and that he has created his church to help bear each other’s burdens. If you call me a friend, just know I’m here for you, if you are facing a hard time, I know there are great people in local church bodies who would walk this season with you.
If this message resonates with you, please join me in reflecting on this prayer.
Father God,
Sometimes life feels heavy.
Sometimes the burdens we carry seem overwhelming, the struggles seem endless, and the darkness around us feels closer than we would like to admit. In those moments, it can be difficult to see Your hand at work or understand what You are doing.
Lord, we confess that there are days when life simply hurts. We live in a broken world, and we feel the effects of that brokenness in our hearts, our relationships, our communities, and our circumstances. Yet even when life is difficult, help us remember that You remain good.
Give us the faith to trust You when we cannot see the path ahead. Give us the courage to keep moving forward when we feel weary. Give us peace when anxiety tries to take hold and hope when discouragement creeps in.
When spiritual battles surround us, remind us that You are greater than anything we face. When the enemy whispers lies, help us hear Your truth. When darkness seems thick, help us remember that Your light has already overcome it.
Thank You for the promises found in Your Word. Thank You that our hope is not found in our circumstances, but in You. Thank You that one day You will make all things new, wipe away every tear, and restore what has been broken.
Until that day, help us to trust You faithfully, love others well, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Life may be hard, but You are good.
We rest in that truth today.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
John Johnson Does Stuff 