Day 2472 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


James 1:3 NIV

I'm thankful that life isn't easy. Sounds weird right? Well, considering our human penchant for all things simple, it is weird. But you know, I'm truly happy to consider myself a weirdo in this place. I don't want to be like the world. Been there. Done that. Ain't interested anymore. But I really am thankful that God doesn't just give us this ticket down easy street once we turn to Christ. That just wouldn't be as special.

Where's the chance to grow in an easy life? Where's the opportunity to discover our limits and push beyond what we thought we were capable of doing? An easy life sounds great. In some ways it is. I mean, who doesn't like comfort? Who doesn't like the simplicity of knowing what's coming so that we can make sure we're ready? Who doesn't find peace in being able to understand everything that's going on? Who doesn’t wish the hard days away whenever they come blowing in?

Those things may bring with them this relative ease and smoothness but they don't offer us any chance for improvement. Let's be honest here: if we're not pushed to do what's hard, we're not likely to choose it ourselves. Thankfully that's where God steps in. He knows that we're capable of more than what we find comfortable. He knows what we can become, and He isn't willing to let us skate by with doing the bare minimum.

Calm seas don't make strong sailors. If we're not pushed then all we'll ever know is what makes us comfortable or what we find to be easy. But we should want more than that. We should realize that God put us here for more than sliding through life. We should look at the cross and understand the lengths that He will go to help us see that we were created for more than we've been up to this point.

Friends, it's common to loathe the hard days in life. Nobody enjoys hardship or trial. But we need them more than we need the easy days. We can figure our own way when things are easy. We can get by just fine under our own strength and ability when life makes sense. But we need the things that push us closer to God and force us to rely on Him rather than ourselves. Without our faith being tested, it'll never grow. And that is terrifying!

I don't want to experience just a taste of God's plans. I don't want to reach my final breath and suddenly realized I missed an entire lifetime of possibilities that I can't get back. I want to go where God leads and experience the challenges that make me better and push me closer to Him. Without those trials we can never find out who we really are and what He put inside of us. And that's something that I just don't want to miss.

And I don’t want anyone else to miss it either. That’s why we can’t shy away from the hard things like sharing God’s truth and standing up to the evil in this world. Sure, it’s not easy to do so. But if we don’t then those who are lost stay lost. Those who are hurting stay broken. And that’s not good enough. We are soldiers and it’s time that we start thinking like we are instead of only seeking the path of least resistance. Please never forget that the path of least resistance brings the smallest reward. Why settle for that?

Seek out what tests you because it’s in the testing that we grow. Weaknesses become strengths. Flaws get discovered and corrected. Limits turn into stepping stones. And all of it helps us learn to rely on God and trust in Him instead of ourselves. He sees what we can become if we’re willing to go through the refining process. Now while it may hurt a bit at times, it only makes us stronger. And that my friends is something to be truly thankful for!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 1996 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Image
Isaiah 44:22 NIV Redemption: To compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something; to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment; or to fulfill or carry out a pledge or promise. Our God is so big that He fits every definition of the word! We've been talking about how we don't have to be lost in doing things our own way forever and how He will welcome us back whenever we finally realize we need Him more than anything else. Redemption is why. All of our mistakes, all our weaknesses, all our excuses have been washed away. There is literally nothing left between us and God except for us. We are all that remains in the way of the healing and forgiveness that we need. Seriously, all that stands in our way of the peaceful and joyous freedom we're looking for is our choice to turn back to Him. That's it! I think that one of the biggest hurdles we face in making that choice is that it truly seems impossible. Whether we openly admit them or not, we all kno
Read more

Day 2317 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Image
Proverbs 16:18 NIV Most, if not all of us have this innate problem that we've developed. Maybe it's a result of living in a world that has nearly no concept of wrong. Maybe it's just a product of our deceitful minds wanting to do whatever we want without having to weigh the consequences. Whatever the reason, we've somehow gotten it in our minds that we're incapable of making mistakes. We've become conceited to the point that we actually believe that we never get anything wrong. And while that may make us feel good, there's no avoiding the truth that tells us otherwise! Each of us make the wrong choices. We jump to conclusions. We take things out of context. We rush through things. We assume that we know what someone else is talking about without making sure. We answer before we hear the full question. We hear things that someone else doesn't necessarily say. We let things slip out of our mouths that we may not really mean. We give in to selfishness witho
Read more

Welcome to The Forge!

Image
Welcome to The Forge! This page is all about God, our faith in Him, and finding our way back to the truths and principles found in His Word. As I'm sure many of you have noticed, the world is losing its mind. Sin is celebrated. Wrongs are viewed as right. What's right is out the window and seldom considered. Popularity is the driving force behind many actions. Being politically correct is the norm and anything else is just not acceptable.  Well, none of that nonsense flies in The Forge. We are stronger t han the pressures of the world around us. We are tougher than the pull of sin. We are called to rise above the fog of this hate-fueled judgment that the world is covered in. God didn't create us as timid little beings that need to be led around by our noses. He designed us to do better than simply go with the flow. No, He made us much different than that. He made us to be leaders, He created us to go against the grain, live outside the lines, and stand tall and hold firm to
Read more