I thought I share with you what God has been teaching me this past month. I had listened to a sermon from Vern, one of my pastors up in Montana, he’s actually pretty sweet! He had a sermon series about this Crooked Path that we walk on and how the Trinity is here to guide us.
Rules of the Road: God is a God of grace not a God of Law. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:14 I realize I have a misconception of God for who He really is. He isn’t going to leave me on my own and He is a loving God. God is FOR us NOT against us. I loved with Vern said, God isn’t standing there on that path dangling the 10 commandments in your face with such high standards that we cannot reach.
When we go through our sufferings and pain. Pain will ALWAYS be on that path we walk on, and pain is a big part of growth. Jesus is our guide in suffering, what’s important is that we don’t suffer alone. Jesus grew through suffering and I will grow through suffering. There are 3 steps we need to take to get through suffering and the pain that others put on us. 1. Don’t deny- acknowledge it. 2. Don’t isolate- doing it by yourself is NOT on the path to grow. 3. Don’t retaliate- Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. This is where the gift of forgiveness comes in.
As we get better at these steps and we don’t deny it, start forgiving; as Vern says “it will be exhilarating! It will be a mountaintop experience!
Last is the partnership with the Holy Spirit. You‘re ready to grow? That‘s when Jesus walks away and the Holy Spirit steps in. But I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away,the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. – John 16:7;13a We do our part, the Holy Spirit does His part. He can’t do it alone and We can’t do it alone. You are doing, He is strengthening.
So what does God want from me? I learned that I needed to look at what’s holding me back and see that God will meet me wherever I am, with whatever is holding me back, whatever sin has a chokehold on me. God is ready to take my hand and walk me through the process. I learned that holding back is selfish. Whoever isolates Himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgement. – Proverbs 18:1 Isolation is selfish and will make relations with others impossible. When it comes to pain, Psalm 23 does NOT say God will lead us AROUND the valley of the shadow of death, He leads us THROUGH it. God’s plans require us to walk through painful circumstances. Why? He’s teaching me trust and faith. He’s preparing me for what is to come. Above all, never lose faith in your Father in heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. – Jeffery R. Holland
