![]() Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! … God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. … But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. - Hebrews 12 – MSG When I was in the middle of hurt and hardship in my previous marriage, I found myself enduring more than just the pain. I found myself changing. My life was a whirlwind of emotions: extreme sadness, intense anger, never-ending tears. The hurt that was being put on me was causing every facet of my life to be different. My enjoyable hikes in the woods stopped. Interacting with my friends turned silent. Those that I saw daily received either a fake smile or intense anger. Nothing was going right and everything felt wrong. Fortunately, I was attending counseling sessions with a marriage counselor that desired to see my life different. He saw things that I could not see in my turmoil. He sent me Hebrews 12 through e-mail on a particularly trying day, and it changed my mindset in an instant. I wanted my life back. Paul wrote specially, "When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! … God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out" (v. 12-13). Paul is giving us a pep talk, encouraging us to get back on our two feet and keep going. He reminds us that God, the creator of all things, is aware and indeed absolutely in charge of our lives. Though our lives feel unorganized and messy, to God, it is on schedule. He is our teacher. Therefore, He has the lesson plan. When a teacher guides his or her students using a lesson plan, the students are guided. They are not given the entire lesson plan. They are guided and pushed. Let's choose to see our hurt differently, viewing it as a stretching rather than a suffering. The Teacher has us. Let us wait for His next step. |
AuthorMelissa Brown is a strong momma who lives in Wapakoneta, Ohio. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, Zoey, and taking long naps. Posts
May 2024
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