Growing Pains of Adversity

When trials come and try to beat us up we have a choice to make, will we allow it to defeat us or will we grow through it and become stronger?  Our adversary the devil is always looking to destroy us as 1 Peter 5:8 states:

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"

Now as a Christian it is pretty easy (sometimes) to realize who your adversaries are.  What is hard is when they come from within your Christian community.  I have always been shocked when a fellow Christian thinks it is okay to speak harshly or in mean tones to myself or other's, to go about spreading rumors or gossip.  It breaks my heart and if it breaks my heart think of how much more it must break Christ heart.

I have asked God to give me a vacation from these trials, but God in His loving kindness wants to see me grow and in order to grow to become more like Him we have to go through things sometimes that we just don't want to go through.  Christ went through so much for me and has given me Grace upon Grace and I know that is what He wants from me as His child.  What parent doesn't want the best for their child?  If we as earthly parents want good for our children doesn't God who is perfect want even more for us? 

Remember when you were a kid and you would get those awful pains in your legs and it would just hurt? No fun, as with any growing pains, but through it all God has guided me and comforted me and He has also given me a godly husband to go to for guidance.  The verses below seem to stir up controversy for some but I have always found comfort in them.  
Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

1 Timothy 2:12
But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

God set up the perfect order, so why do we as His children think we know better?  Because unfortunately from time to time the child in all of us may rear it's selfish little head and rebel as any child will do when they are young.

What do you do or think when you never seen any change in fellow Christians and their behaviors?  You may ask  "is God not working in their lives?", "Don't they have the same indwelling of the Holy Spirit to convict?"  and I can't help but ask the question sometimes "God are they saved?"  especially when the same behavior continues. 
Only God knows if they are His children and so what is our responsibility as fellow sister's and brother's in the Lord?  PRAY and pray some more.  Pray for your adversaries, pray for conviction, pray for reconciliation, pray that they may be restored to right fellowship.

Throughout God's word we are told to Love one another.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another
John 13:35
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor
Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Ephesians 4:2
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love
I could go on and on with GREAT verses that tell us what to do, but you have to do more than just know these verses when it comes to attacks from fellow believers you need to ACT on these verses. 

You do what you can to reconcile and you do what Philippians 2:4-5 states

"do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus"

This is not always easy and especially as a woman, but Praise God He has given me a husband who I can go to.  Do I not know what to do?  Yes, I do but I can get emotional and I need the help and guidance of my husband to help me sometimes sort out what I am feeling.   

God knows me and knows how hard it is for me to have people who dislike me or cause me pain, I just want everyone to like me and to be happy.  I feel however that what God wants from me is to be able to be Happy in Him regardless of the trials I may face.  That my joy is complete in Him ONLY. 

I remember years ago hearing Chuck Swindol saying "When you are in ministry you have to develop skin as tough as a rhinosaurus so when those fiery darts are hurled at you they will bounce off and yet stay soft and compassionate inside"  Not an easy thing to do on our own but with Christ ALL things are possible.  And so I pray for tough skin and a compassionate heart. 

Romans 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.


this is what I want and what I strive for but in God's great sovereignty He has adversity for us all to go through, so again the question each of us need to ask ourselves, what will we do when Adversity comes our way?  I pray for myself as well as anyone reading this that the answer would be

"But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24:15






Comments

  1. WOW Amen sister... I was meant to read this I tell you. I was overwhelmed with the Holly Spirit just reading and I know how hard it is to have this thick skin. It does hurt and I am learning also to not respond as what I am trying to avoid. I heard a great speaker tell a story about a fellow pastor that wronged him and he prayed and god let him to forgiveness. He said that everytime he thought about this person he blessed him. After awhile he stopped thinking wrong and truly forgave him. After years this pastor came back and asked for forgiveness and he said I forgave you long ago. Then they had nice dinner together. Isnt this a wonderful story of how God guides us and frees us from this terrible thing that satan puts in our hearts. I feel the more that I learn to forgive or even ask for forgiveness I feel like my heart gets bigger and bigger everyday. I have a lot of love to give and share. Thank you for sharing this is wonderful and you are an amazing writer. God Bless

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the encouragement Kimberly. I think that there are a lot of us Christians out there being attacked and unfortunately as I stated it is within the church and that makes me extremely sad, but then God said that the Wheat and the Tear will grow together until the end time, so what are we suppose to do? Those of us who are striving to be pleasing to God and to be at peace with all as much as we can? I believe we have to stay in God's word, pray and grow a thick skin while staying soft and compassionate inside. As I have stated so many times as I have read your blogs and watched your amazing transformation from afar You are AMAZING and God who has started a good work in you will COMPLETE it. Praise God we are on this road together! Love you girl

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Physical Birth / Spiritual Birth - What Does God's word say?

Dealing

Pondering