I recently went through a couple of dark days questioning nearly everything. Ever been there?
Rick Warren writes, "Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber." Purpose Driven Life, p. 197.
Part of my problem is that I tend to forget that if we call ourselves Christ-followers, then we will most likely be subjected to similar kinds of testings that Jesus himself experienced. So for us to expect everything to be nice and neat in our following of the Master, well it just won't happen that way.
Paul writes to the Roman church: "His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later." Romans 8:16-18
And to the church in Philippi he writes: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death . . ." Phiippians 3:10
So I need to remember to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3 Do you need to remember that as well?
Rick Warren writes, "Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber." Purpose Driven Life, p. 197.
Part of my problem is that I tend to forget that if we call ourselves Christ-followers, then we will most likely be subjected to similar kinds of testings that Jesus himself experienced. So for us to expect everything to be nice and neat in our following of the Master, well it just won't happen that way.
Paul writes to the Roman church: "His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later." Romans 8:16-18
And to the church in Philippi he writes: "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death . . ." Phiippians 3:10
So I need to remember to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3 Do you need to remember that as well?
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