Maybe we don't need to be too comfortable
Maybe life and pain are compatible
Maybe sorrow is a gift
Maybe success is the opposite
Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.
Though loss never feels like a blessingand pain never feels like a privilege
I think we are missing it
Holy Spirit help us understand this
Maybe I need to live on the edge, barely making ends meet,
Maybe we'll never fully arrive in this life,
and maybe thats not such a bad thing.
Maybe I need to loose more down here to gain more up there
Maybe thats why He calls us to die so that He may Live
Maybe I haven't fully embraced Christ if I havent embraced suffering
Maybe we are fortunate to go through it, and maybe we miss out on greater glory when faced with less affliction.
Maybe Im dreading what I should be embracing
Maybe this is the only way I can fix my eyes on Him
Maybe through storms I'm reminded to pray and seek God more
Maybe weakness is really strength
Maybe meekness is really wealth
Maybe, just maybe every bad thing is a good thing is disguise.
Maybe hurt is a must
and truly God is ENOUGH.
God laid it upon my heart to write this simple piece. He's been opening my eyes to this amazing revelation in regards to embracing the storms in life. Whenever I go through something I find myself in constant need of God. Yes I know that we ALWAYS need God since He created us that way, yet we tend to get passive and slacken in our faith the minute everything is A-okay! Off late I have had the honor to witness various people, either virtually and in person, who have been "going through stuff" for lack of better words. At first I would sympathize, pray for them and thank God I wasn't them. *Truth be told* Because no one ever looks forward to suffering or prays for tough times. We instead ask God to bless us, increase us, and to favor us, etc. Yet I'm starting to see that His ways are truly not ours! Mathew 5 has a completely different definition of what "being blessed" means. I once read a quote stating that "everything is upside down in the kingdom of God." With time, Im starting to see how true that is.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you're any less of a christian if things are going well in your life. I'm just writing this to challenge the way you handle that which is ahead. I'm personally still seeking God to show me how to embrace the storms of life. The truth is God is always behind it, either causing it or allowing it. He is sovereign and nothing will ever happen in your life without His consent! Rest assured His grace will always carry you through anything and everything. I keep asking God to show me the beauty in the ugly moments and to give me joy and a heart that is quick to say that "all is well!"
Storms come in many forms. You may be going through financial strain or you may have experienced sudden loss. I may not know why God does the things that He does but I do trust that He loves us and He never does anything to harm us. It is always for our good. Ive come to appreciate the unlikely, simply because it reminds me that this isn't my home. I don't want to get too comfortable or too distracted that I forget that I am simply passing through. The Holy Spirit recently led me to praying "a very dangerous prayer" when I was leading prayers at my church. I found myself wailing and asking God to have us and prepare us for His return at any cost. Our God is a God of extremes and I'm starting to see that they are completely necessary in this life. Its not an easy declaration but I don't regret making that prayer because at the end of the day, I want to be with my Savior. Whether He calls me home, or He returns for us, I want to spend eternity with Him by any cost.
So maybe its not too bad whatever we're going through *however painful it is * because God is molding us and making us to be more like Him. Through it all, He is perfecting us. Above all He is with us. He is near. He our every-present help in time of need. Let us be thankful because we are blessed to be going through it. Lets trust that He is working it all out for our good and His glory and let us remember that affliction is momentary and it is preparing us for eternal glory. Now how AMAZING IS THAT!
Don't get too comfortable!
