Life is hard. I hear that expression all the time, and indeed life can be hard. We can feel rejected and hurt. We can go through struggles and feel humiliation and embarrassment. Sometimes we face failure or things that just make life hard. And sometimes I share how I feel with my friends and they'll say, “Well, you know, it will be okay.” Or sometimes they'll say, “Just talk to Jesus about it. He'll guide you.” And they're right, He most certainly will. 

But sometimes I don't always feel like God understands. 

I don't know that Jesus can always identify with me and my struggles, but what I have learned is that He really can identify with us. 

I was reading the other day, in Philippians, about how Paul encouraged us to have the mind of Christ. He talked about how Jesus came down to earth where He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:7 (NASB) Why did He make Himself in the likeness of men? So He could be like us and identify with us! And He really can identify with us. I started thinking about it and realized that, 

Jesus was tempted, just like I've been tempted.

Jesus was betrayed, just like I have felt betrayed. Jesus was rejected, I have certainly felt rejected. He was misunderstood and falsely accused. I have felt those things as well. Jesus experienced pain, and I have too. I think we can all understand that we've all gone through those things. But do we know that Jesus can really identify with us? You may think about pain and say, “Well, He hasn’t had cancer.” No, but those nails hurt when they were driven through his hands. You may be thinking, “Jesus never had to deal with wayward children.” Well actually, yes he has! We may think that Jesus has never had to deal with some of the relational things like we have, and no, He may not have been married or had children, He may not have experienced pain in the same circumstances that we have, but He experienced the same type of pain and rejection and loss that we experience in those life events and circumstances. So He really does understand. He really does get us. 

Jesus really can identify with us in our pain and our sufferings. 

But the beautiful thing is that when we become a child of God, then we can identify like Jesus did with God in that place of peace, rest, contentment. The place of being okay in the middle of our chaos. We can understand that God is for us. And then we can have peace and look forward to Him meeting all of our needs. 

“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NASB)

God can identify with us and our sense of sadness and loss and pain. But we can also identify with Him in joy and life, love and care, and all things that give us that abundant Life. 

So, the next time you’re feeling down in the dumps and things are not going well, just remember Jesus knows how you feel. And then let Him bring you to a place where you can experience Him in the middle of that chaos.