Day 2389 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.
Romans 5:3-4 NIV
Much of life is far from fun. We don't want it to be that way. We would definitely prefer a smoother ride. But we don't always get what we want. In fact, as we've all experienced, we often get dealt situations that we wouldn't wish on our worst enemies. And that's not going to change. God never promised us an easy life or some comfortable journey during our time on this earth. But He promised to be with us. And that's a pretty amazing promise to lean on when the seas start getting a little rough.
But when we're faced with those trials and tribulations, we often find ourselves wishing things were different. We wish our problems would just go away. We think about how we'd give anything to change what we're facing because it isn't easy or comfortable. But maybe that kind of thinking is only adding to the weariness of it all. Maybe only seeing the bad in the hard days keeps us in this place of misery and disappointment. Maybe a slightly different approach could bring us much better results.
Instead of wishing things were better, what if we focused on being better ourselves? Rather than trying to change what's happening, what if we allowed God to change us through it? I think that's the part that gets forgotten when we're stuck in self-pity mode. We forget that God doesn't lead us where we're comfortable. He leads us where we need to go. He has us where we need to be. And while it may not be what we would choose, He has us where we are for a reason. But only thinking about how bad it is will keep us from learning the lessons and experiencing the growth that's possible.
We can't change our circumstances, even though that's exactly what we'd like to do. But maybe we can change how we approach those hard days that are unavoidable. Maybe we can look for the lessons in the struggle. Maybe we can stop allowing ourselves to become distracted by how bad our situation sucks and realize that God has us in it for a reason. We don't grow unless we're rained on. We don't learn if we're not pushed to where we don't know what's going on. We won't improve if we're not forced to realize that we have plenty of room to do so.
Life is one big test. It's going to be hard. We're going to face things that we're not ready for. We're going to go through days that will take everything we have and leave us broken and worn. But what other choice do we have than to keep going? If it's going to be hard sometimes, why not try to take something good away from it? Why allow life to constantly get the better of us when we have the opportunity to be better because of what we face while we're here? Seems like a shame to go through life wishing things were better and never realizing that God was trying to make us better all along.
We can't waste our time wishing things would go away so that our life was closer to this ideal that we envision. God doesn't change His plans based on our preference for what's easy and desirable in our eyes. He leads us where we need to be so that we can learn what we need to learn so that we can be who He needs us to be. He loves us too much to allow us the convenience of an easy life. He knows we have more than that inside of us, and He just wants to help us see that same truth for ourselves. So don't wish your circumstances away. Focus instead on being better where He has you because you're there for a reason.
Sure, your life may not be perfect in your opinion. You may not have everything you wanted or be where you want to be. But you're where God has you. You're living the life that He has written. You're on this road to a reward that's better than anything you can imagine. And if the road to that destination is rough, then so be it, the result will be well worth the bumps and bruises we experience to get there. Just don't miss out on the chances to grow along the way because they're hidden behind trial and hardship. Let God make you better because when we're learning and growing then we're ready for whatever comes our way next.
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