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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

SACRED STRUGGLE....CHAPT 8

EMBRACING DIFFICULTY IN ORDER TO BUILD CHARACTER......

"In the same way, the "collisions" of marriage can create relationships of beauty. Beauty is often birthed in struggle. These points of impact may not be "fun"-in fact, they can make us feel like we're being ripped apart-but the process can make us stronger, build our character, and deepen our faith."

I think this quote sums up the chapter. Suck it up, times get tough and God never promised that it would be easy. Trails will come and we have to work through them to become closer to him, to become better people, better Christians. So face the struggles head on, what are you scared of? I have been through so much crap in my life and when I look back at how brave I was at even five years old telling a grown man to shut up and leave my mother alone I know that had to come from somewhere. All those trails I was put through as a child, made me a stronger person today and has prepared me for the bigger trails I would face as an adult.

"Few people leave a marriage because it's too easy! This tendency to avoid difficulty is a grave spiritual failing that can and often does keep us in Christian infancy." "Our Lord has sovereignty ordained that our refining process take place as we go through difficulties, not around them."

So, in other words don't run from your problems. They are there for a reason, God lets us go through these trails so that we will become closer to him, that we will grow into the people he has meant for us to be. When you run you won't learn the lesson, you will remain in Christian infancy.

"If your marriage is tough, get down on your knees and thank God that he has given you an opportunity for unparalleled spiritual growth."

If we all had this attitude and thanked God for everything and not just go to him to complain or ask him to fix certain things life might be better. The man upstairs knows what he is doing, he isn't going to give us too much, he is right here beside us the entire way. He doesn't want to see one of his children suffer. Would you want to see one of your children suffer? Of course not, but sometimes we have to step back and let them learn for themselves and it is up to them to chose the right path. But we are there to pick them up when they fall and chose the wrong path and so is God. He is right there ready to pick you up. So, be grateful that he gives us the opportunity to learn and go through these things to be better people. I've went through so much and I wouldn't go back and change a thing. Not even when a grown man was touching me in places he shouldn't have been when I was only 12. All my experiences have made me who I am and I think I turned out pretty well!! I thank God for those experiences and I don't mind going through the hard times when I know it is going to help me and others in the long run.

We have to pick up our crosses DAILY right? We make a decision every morning when we open our eyes if we are going to live for God or let evil take over. It's not just that one time when you get baptized, this narrow road is an everyday struggle that you have to wake up and recommit your life everyday, pick up your cross and die to this world. Then throughout the day you may have to go back to God and say....."well I sure could use some help right now big daddy".

I don't know about you all but I love Paul!! He and I have a lot in common but in 2 Corinthians 4:17 he says "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." If Paul says so then I do believe it....this man had a lot of good things to say and done a lot of great things. He too was a sinner at one point and people didn't trust him and doubted him. I love when people doubt me, gives me more the reason to prove myself and work harder and I think that's what Paul did too.

A little something that I learned in AA and also is mentioned in this book is we can't control what our spouse say or does or what the world around us is doing but we can control ourselves, how we act and respond in certain situations. We have to be the one's who are going to push ourselves to work through the hard marriage, difficult children, difficult parents, co-workers. Whatever the case may be. We have to be the one's to control how we take stuff in and not worry about the other people around us because we can't control it. Let people say what they want, do what they want, in the end DON'T LET THEM LIVE IN YOUR HEAD RENT FREE!! Give it to God and let it go. You may have to do this one hundred times a day, swallow your pride at times, look like a wuss but you know what.....Heaven to me is a much better pay off than saying what I may want to say at the time, or beating their head in the concrete (yea I have issues).

When you are going through all these issues look to God. If you don't have him, you better find him. With God life is a lot easier, the troubles are even a little easier if you have faith. I know God is going to take care of me, I know there is a purpose, I know I can go and talk to him when I feel like my marriage or whatever is failing and he will bring me through that. If you don't have God your problems look bigger and heavier than you can imagine, I know I've been there. Get right with the Big Man and see if He don't do wonderful things in your life.

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