Do not think that your crying and complaints can force Jesus to become sentimental and then give Himself out so cheaply. When you are emotionally controlled, you lose the sense of objectivity. Jesus’ objectivity is founded on commitment and genuineness of faith. Of all graces, faith honours Christ most; therefore of all graces, Christ honours faith most. The only way to honour, to reverence Christ is to have faith in Him. When you have faith in Him, you would only discuss the One who is fighting for you, instead of the battle. You would discuss the promise of victory instead of warfare. This was what Jesus meant when He said in John 16:33, ‘Take heart, I have overcome the world’. When you have faith in Jesus, each embarrassment, insult and persecution you receive would draw you closer to Him, knowing that the closer you get to Jesus, the more your breakthrough is being built up, slowly but surely (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Look at the case of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15. Each embarrassment she received drew her closer to Jesus. The closer she got to Jesus, the more her breakthrough was being built up slowly but surely. This means, when answers to our prayers are held back, it is an opportunity for us to be fervent – to pray the more, fast the more. When the results of our effort are held back, it is an opportunity for us as Christians to pray the more, fast the more and be more devoted. Jesus loves those who are able to exercise great faith under great trials and temptation. The hindrances thrown in this woman’s way only tended to increase her faith. This means, trials are the soil in which faith flourishes. If we endure trials and hardship for what we believe, God deals with us as sons.