No Pain, No Gain

So, I just got home from small group and I am exhausted from a crazy day at school (alka selzer tablet from my science lab was placed in some kid's milk at lunch, and I had to help diffuse hallway a mob in the/girl fight....it wasn't pretty).....BUT, I just had to sit down and write about all that God is teaching me right now!

Our lesson for small group this week was about bowing down our pain to God. Personally, I don't like talking about pain because I have a very negative attitude about it. Who doesn't? But, I was challenged this week when I read about how we should expect pain in our lives. Life isn't suppose to be breeze (dang it! kinda hoping it was :) The Bible says, "...but we also glorify in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame..." Romans 5:3-5

I was reading an article this week about Derek Taatjes' last sermon (http://www.mlive.com/news/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/04/hundreds_embrace_family_for_de.html#cmpid=

v2mode_be_smoref_face). He was talking about the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" His wife, Charity, said that "to Derek, the question was flawed since it held the individual's supremacy before God when it is supposed to be the other way around." That hit me hard. Who says that we are "good" and that what is happening to us is "bad?"

I am learning from past mistakes to not run away from pain and to accept it. Running away from it causes severe anxiety. Accepting it allows for growth and peace. I am learning to trust that God uses pain to refine me and to bring me closer to him by bringing me to my knees. God loves me and is worthy of my trust. I often fear that God will withhold the desires of my heart from me and only bring on pain. But, after reading Psalm 37 I realized that maybe God was the one who put those desires in my heart. And, He will be faithful with those desires, but I need to submit them to him first.

"Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads to evil." Psalm 37:4-8

I often "fret." I am learning to praise God the second I feel like fretting about my circumstances. I don't often feel like it, but its the first blow to the enemy to keep him from filling my mind with negativity. So, praise God that he will use even the most difficult times for his glory and to bring me closer to Him. :) Thanks for reading!