PAIN is a GOOD Thing??

This is a motivating story that Keith shares to explain why we must welcome the "pain" that comes with growing spiritually.  When we give our heart and life to Jesus Christ, we begin to make changes in our lifestyle.  We give up our old habits that are counterproductive, and develop new habits that will grow our relationship, and our faith, IN our Lord and Savior.  If, like me, you identify with the painful experiences of this young believer Keith led to the Lord, you'll be blessed by realizing how, clearly, "PAIN is a GOOD thing."  Selah. 

Keith received a phone call from a young, and rather popular, guy in his youth group who, just a few weeks before, had given his heart and life to the Lord.  He asked Keith if he could meet with him to talk about a decision he had made and was struggling with.  Hearing frustration in this young man's voice, Keith made it a point to meet with him asap.  When they met and sat down to talk, with a stressed voice, the young believer asked, "Why do non-believers seem to have it easier than Christians do?  Why does it seem that, ever since I started going to church, and stopped hanging out with my old friends I used to party with before I made my commitment to Jesus Christ, my life seems to be falling apart?  I see my old friends having a good time, while I feel like I've been in an endless string of trials and tribulations.  Keith... is there something wrong with me?"  

Understanding how it feels to be harshly criticized, hurt, and rejected by old friends who don't know God, Keith replied, "What I hear you saying is actually really good news.  It tells me you are right where you need to be.  You see, the fiery trials and struggles are coming your way because God loves you.  I know that may sound a bit different than what you may have heard before, but let me explain what I'm saying.  Next to God sending His precious Son, the Person of the Holy Spirit, and His written Word for us, providing for our trials is His most valuable gift to us.  The fiery trials in life, for believers, is of utmost importance for our development into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.  Much like it takes intense heat to purify gold, and tons of immense pressure, and time, to turn a piece of coal into a priceless diamond, it takes fiery trials and pressures to burn away our old, stinking, flesh nature and purify us.  Only after that can our life become a sweet-smelling fragrance to God."  

Jesus fore-warned us that this would happen and, to encourage us to resist running from our difficulties and to stand firm through the trials that come, He said, "And ye shall be hated of all men for My Name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." (Mark 13:13)  The apostle Paul knew this first-hand, telling how he actually cherished his times in the fiery trials, saying, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

When the young believer asked, "Does it ever get easier?"  Keith replied, "No, it gets better!  You see, the more we submit to the trials when they come, and hold fast to them, the clearer God's voice becomes to us.  Believe me, when you begin to hear God's voice, all of the trials you have gone through immediately become inexplicably small compared to the awesome privilege of experiencing even one word from God's own mouth.  It is an experience for which there are no words to even begin to explain!  Jesus makes this point best when He says, 'A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.' (John 16:21)"

I encourage you, when the fiery trials of this life come, and they will, do not be so quick to try and escape them.  => Resist the temptation to run.  => Linger in them for a while.  => Let their perfect work be done in you.  => And watch what God will do.

 

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