Life is not all bad. Sometimes, the very bad times in our life, put us on a direct path to the very best times in our life. [Spirituality & Religion]
Problems are like a sore boil. They don’t get better, until you address them.
There is always a lesson in adversity, so I learned early on (and I might add, the [i]hard way[/i]), that it is necessary and wise to never run from your problems, as that makes things even worse! One would [i]think[/i] just the opposite, but that is not the case!
I used to do [i]anything[/i] but face the problem at hand, even going so far as to try to remedy things all by myself. Seemed reasonable enough at the time. 😆 However.....as I matured in life, the more I acquired knowledge, and the better the results, I assure you. When you know better, you [b]do[/b] better.
Never, never beat yourself up over mistakes you’ve made, for those mistakes are there not to hurt or even harm you. They are actually quite necessary and nothing to dread. Not when you face them head on, that is. They were [i]meant[/i] to help you grow in life and better yourself. So this is why I cannot, nor should I, complain when they come my way. Of course, I do catch myself complaining at times, and yes, on first impulse....but only until I calm down and stop to realize just what this is all about, and that’s when I can allow the Holy Spirit to teach me again. If we’re not teachable, that’s not good.
We are here to live and learn. That’s what life is all about. It is a never ending process and [i]adventure[/i], that we must not get bitter about, but allow life to make us [b]better[/b] in our daily lives. We can either allow ourselves to get bitter, or better. It’s your choice.
When something is awry, our own spirit immediately knows it. It feels uneasy, unsettled, and even broken. Your spirit never likes this feeling, so that sets off a “fight or flight” response. Oh, my flight response was real good at fleeing what was hurting me, until I sought to [u]learn[/u] from that experience, instead of bailing out physically and emotionally. I had always done the exact [i]opposite[/i] of what God had wanted my spirit to learn.
It sure doesn’t seem logical, but I learned that problems were not meant to harm us. They are meant to give us a much needed warning that something in our lives needs much adjusting, and is very wrong. Things that shall eventually tear us up, and lead to more destruction in our lives. I sure had a lot of very hard lessons, until the day I listened to God’s leading, loving voice, instead of shunning and rejecting it. That’s when things got measurably better. You just cannot sweep problems under the rug. While they may be out of sight, your spirit never really forgets about them, because they are deep down in there for a reason. To help you, and for us to [u]respond[/u] to. Until you resolve the first problem, you can’t move on to the next. You’ll always be sent back to square one until you resolve it, no matter how many problems stack up. They’ll never go away, until you address the first. Promise!
You’ll carry all that garbage in your life, until you take the necessary time to make things right in your own spirit again. Then, and only then, when the problem is addressed, will you be able to address the [u]next[/u] lesson that comes along, so your life can be happy again. It’s like a stack of dominoes. They’re all stacked up, one problem upon the other, until sooner or later, just [b]one more added domino[/b]....just one more push on our already taxed and burdened spirit, and down they all fall! Then we wonder why we feel the way we do and are so confused as to the answer. Life just doesn’t work that way. We must address one problem at a time, before we even [b]attempt[/b] to solve the next. Learn the lesson, grow from it spiritually, then go on to learn and grow from the next one. You’ll be a lot smarter and wiser for it, and it will feel [b]good![/b] Hopefully, you’ll also learn it’s not something you’ll want to repeat. By the way...when we make mistakes, God doesn’t hold a grudge. Just confess it, forgive yourself, and move on. It’s [b]done[/b] in His eyes, and what He forgives, He forgets...and so should you!
The Bible is, or should be, your spiritual advisor. We all have a spirit, so the wisest thing to do is not to shun it, but [i]embrace it[/i]. It is the most important part of you. [i]It is the seat and key to your happiness.[/i] When you’re confused, angry, or unhappy, that is not God’s fault. God did not make you to be unhappy all the time. He is [u]not[/u] the author of confusion. God actually did us a favor by allowing us to be made in His image...given a spirit we can learn and grow from, so our lives can be happy! Shunning your spirit, who was made and meant to experience fellowship with God, is a miserable, lonely life. Our spirit actually longs for something bigger than ourselves. It says so in God’s own Word. Now, you may suppress that spirit all you want, but the fact remains, you were still made to have fellowship with God, through your spirit. Until you do, that living spirit in you, shall be restless and always wanting....[b]lacking[/b] thereof. Always yearning to reunite with it’s Creator.
So adversity is not to be shunned, nor dreaded. Spiritual adversity, is God’s university. He wisely and lovingly teaches us how we are to live life more abundantly, so we may live life healthier and happier. He advises us to look at, and face our problems head on. When I’ve done that, things have [u]always[/u] turned out right, even if the lesson was extremely hard. It gives our spirit peace and joy, when it has a clean, clear conscience from following His truths. The truths it longs for, and the truth indeed, sets one’s very spirit and life, free!!
God is not against you. He never was. He is for you. Not one verse in His Word, advises you to do anything that would bring you harm or a miserable life. Not one. He came to set the captive free! His Word brings nothing but love and life to your spirit. He is the Good Shepherd. He never leads His sheep astray, or towards something that would bring them harm, in any way. We have only to listen to His voice...His wise word of council, which my spirit delights in. That...is the secret to a happy and contented life. If [u]any[/u] of God’s followers lacks wisdom, let them ask, and it shall be freely given.
You may already feel you’re happy on your own, without Him. That very well may be, but eventually you’ll come to the crossroad of decision. Perhaps you’ve shoved your own spirit aside, under the rug, denying and ignoring your need for a Savior. That may work for awhile, but all along, your spirit is the one suffering. It longs to be united with it’s Maker. That becomes more obvious on your death bed, as you begin to wonder where you’ll really end up after you pass on. That’s just a natural response to death. We all want to know, I don’t care who you are. We want to know where we’re going, and if we’ll be safe. It’s a most sobering moment one cannot escape, when facing eternity. After all, even a fool will realize there’s more to come, after he dies. One’s spirit never dies. It is immortal, whether we like it or not. A wise person will explore that and want to make very sure he or she does not leave that issue unaddressed, as eternity is a very long time to get it wrong, and you [i]have[/i] that opportunity to decide to follow Christ, right now. He turns no one away. Why leave your soul to chance? It’s [b]the[/b] most important decision you’ll ever make in your life, as it determines [i]where[/i] you’ll spend eternity. Whatever your decision, God will honor your choice. When you ignore that decision or want nothing to do with God, you tie His hands. You’ve made your choice.
What about you? You sure wouldn’t want, nor enjoy a mate that you had to force to love you. That would be like marrying a cold robot. When someone comes to you...[u]reciprocating[/u] your love, that is pure heaven! Your love is returned, and in that way, your mate is showing you [b]exactly[/b] how much they love you. Action is louder than mere words. You wouldn’t want it any other way. God is no different. When we choose Him, what we’re really doing is showing Him where our heart really lies....in loving Him back, and [b]wanting[/b] Him in our lives. There’s been many occasions when you’ve most likely never felt truly wanted. As you know, it’s a miserable feeling. Jesus longs to meet again with you, as He [i]already[/i] loves you with all His heart, and He proved that, when He died on the cross, so your sins and problems could all be washed away, and your own spirit, reunited with Him forever in the Kingdom of God. And what a price He paid in order for you and Him to be together forever, in Heaven.
This is not someone who hates you. This is someone who covets you. But as long as your sins separate you from Him, and until you confess those sins, you have not given Him the chance to forgive them and wash them all away, so that you [u]can[/u] reunite with Him in spirit, until the day comes when you and your spirit can fellowship with Him forever in heaven. The fellowship, love, and joy starts, the second you accept Jesus as your personal Savior. I’m not talking about empty religion. I’m talking about a personal uniting, fellowship, and relationship you’ll enjoy in your spirit, when it unites with His.
That’s not asking much, my friend. Not at all. It was Jesus that suffered the hard part of dying to pay for your sins. All [b]you[/b] have to do is take responsibility for your sins and ask Him to forgive them, by turning from them and following Christ. He then forgives you of all your sins, and remembers them no more. He [i]wants[/i] you to be happy and have eternal life in heaven. [b]Someone[/b] had to pay the price for sin. It was either you or Him. He didn’t want it to be you, so He chose to die and pay the price of your sins [b]for[/b] you. That sure doesn’t describe someone who is out to get you or hurt you. I hope you’ll realize that some day, if not today. Or would you rather He’d done nothing and let you die in your sins, forever separated from God? It was one or the other, and Jesus stepped up on your behalf and proved how much He loves you. He wasn’t all talk and no action. He gave His ultimate all! How could we give Him less? He literally saved you from Hell. Now it’s up to you, to either receive Him into your life and heart, and His free gift of eternal life, or not. Jesus said, only a fool says there is no God. Even Satan recognizes there’s a God. He knows full well, God is alive, and was resurrected. In that way, he’s a whole lot smarter than most who refuse to acknowledge God.
[center]
[/center]
Proverbs 12:1 - “Whoso loveth instruction, loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof, is brutish (ignorant).
Basically, what this verse is saying, is: To learn, you must love discipline; but a person who hates being corrected is stupid.
Proverbs 9:8 - ““Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”
