Understanding through Trails and Struggles

It rains on the just and the unjust but does God really allow us to go through trials and struggles in life? Sometimes wemisunderstand and think if God really lovesus and is with us, thatwe will never go through any trials and struggles butthat isn't true. Often I have found through those trails and struggles in my life I amstrengthened in my faith andrecieve evenmorespiritual awareness. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10. "We try to live in such a way thatno one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry. In everything we do we try to show we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have beenbeaten, been put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have faithfully preached the truth. God's power has been working in us. We have righteousness as ourweapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest but they call us imposters. We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live close to death, but here we are, still alive. We have been beaten within an inch of our lives. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything." Thisquote maysound be abit extremefor some of us but let us look at it from a new christianview point.... Let us say you used to do and hang out with people who did things that Godhates and says "anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God ( Galatians 5:19-21)". Here are afew examples: "sexual-immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbrust of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkeness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin (Galations 5:19-21)". And when this new christian gives their life to the Lord (Jesus Christ), theHoly Spiritstarts to convict or showsthem thingsthey should no longer do anymore or be a part of... For the Word of God is the the LIVING WORD of God..... Hebrews 4:12-13 "For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper then the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done." So do you think those same people whothey used to do all those sinful things with will be happy for them?Of course not! They will thinkthe worse ofthem and they will despisethem becausetheywill no longer back the selfish sinfuldesires of their lost friends by doing and taking part in the thingsthat makes them "unacceptable to God. Mark 7:20)". That is whyGod's word says "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partnerwith an unbeliever? And what union can there bebetween God's temple and idols?For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them andwalk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and seperate yourselves from them says the Lord. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corthinthians 6:14-18) We are to pray for the lost and be a Chirst likeexamples to the lost but we are not todo the things they do. Some of you who are married to an "unbeliever" or "a person who claims to be right with God but doesn't walk the walk and talk the talk,"keep the faith in God and your marriage for I was once one of them. Pray forthem daily and treat themas God leads you and if you believe and trust in your heart, God willchange them.(2 Timothy 2:23-26 is good advice.) There is no person in the bible, I can think of at this moment, thatdidn't have any trails or struggles in their life. Can you think of any? Can you think of anyone in your life right now who hasn't gone through any trails or struggles? God shows himself throughour trails and struggles.Just think if Moses cameup to Pharoah and say "Let my people go!" and Pharoah replied,"Okay take them I couldn't care less." God would not of been able to show himself to His people or His powers to anyone.Whatways didMoses grow in his faith in Godwhen confronting Pharaoh and dealing with God's people? InGod'spowers and plagues on the Egyptians and Phoroah -how did God show himself to Moses, thepeople of Isreal and the Egyptian people? God does this today for us as well?We have to go to God and giveour faith and trust totally toHim in allour situations that occur or may or may not occur.A friend of ours was having problems with their bank.The bankhad sent outa letter or letters in themail saying that they hadn't been paying their payments on their house but the reason they hadn't been paying payments on the house was because the house was already paid for.... They called the bank but they wouldn't listen so they prayed andthe bank called them back on the phone a few days laterand said..."Look we are sorry, it was our mistake. The house is paid for and the papers for house are in the mail." Another friend of ours, needed abigger car to fit his entire family into. They tooprayedto God that He would give thema car. He also asked God that the car wouldn't make themgo into further debt.Afew weeks later, his brother callshim on the phone from Dallas and asks if he would like to swaptheir car for hisvan. The van was paid for andthe brotherdidn't care what condition their car was in because he was just going to trade the car in for some money down on a new car. None of your problems are too smallor too big for God. I have even seen God heal injures and sickness. I have seen it.God does answer prayers if you just trust and believe. God allows us to go through trails and struggles when we head off that Christ centered mindset or path. This is where we often end upin the thorn bushes of confusion, depression, frustration and anger. Our ownsin or lack of focus on God is what often leads us there.....I don't know about you but when my own selfish desires, wants and needs get nested in my thoughts it's hard to see clearly. We only see it our way and not anyone elses. An example of this happen to me about a year or two ago after aSunday morning church service. My wife wanted to stay after church and watch a Christian movie. I wanted togo home. We had been at the church most of that week and I was just ready to spend sometime at home.My wife tried to seek a middle road and said. "Well you can go home and then I'll see ifmy parents can't just drive me home." Well we live about 20 minutes from the church and I didn't want to havemyin-laws to have drive all the way out to our house when they live only 5 minutes from the church. I also didn't want todo anotherforty minutes of driving back and forth so I first got frustated and then angry. I ended up slamming the car door and leaving the church parking lot. On the way home, I lamented angerly tothe Lordabouthow terrible it wasthat she wanted to spend even more time at the church and not just spend sometime at home relaxing with me. 20 minutes later I was still mad but my thoughts became quiet and that tiny voice inside my head began to speak to me and said,"Are you being selfish?" "Me selfish? How am I being selfish Lord?" "How are you suppose to love your wife? "As you love me, Lord." "A man of God doesn't think of himself but puts otherpeople'sneeds and wants in front of his own needs and wants." "But isn't she suppose to listen to me and care about what I want to do, God?' "She wants to learn more about Me. Is thatSO wrong? You areangry with her because she wants to learn more about Me?" You know I guess I never thought of it that way God. You probably don't have to imaginethat it didn't take me very long before I was back in that car heading in the direction of the church...again. My own selfishness led me one heck of a roller coaster ride of emotions but looking back I am grateful for God's gracious correction for it has made me think about my reasoning before I get upset. Isaiah 55:11 states, "It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. I will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." 2 Corinthians 7:10 "For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation." I can't think of a better illustration thenwhat the Lord has reminded me ofwhen I read this scripture. Alady or young woman, who was unmarried at the time,got pregnant and she thought the best way to handle the situation was tokill the fetus/ little babygrowing insideof her.Instead of giving her a peace, this decisionultimately haunted her. It wasn't until she finally gave her life toChrist thatshe finally askedfor the Lord's forgiveness and to take that heavy burden from her. She will always rememberthat terrible decisionjust like a smoker's lungs remembers every cigerette butshe learnedto live by God's grace andit' a strong reminder to never go down that same road again.Through this haunting experience, she can help other girls and women to make the right choiceinstead of the wrong one that she had made so many years ago. She also can talk to other girls and woman who made the same choice she did andtell how Christ has helped her cope with thistragic decision in her life.She also has an extra desire for salvation and that is to see that baby, she never knew, up in heaven. Trails and strugglesshow us that the world will never make us happy. I was at the library today for storytime talking to another parent when he mentioned howdiscouraging thevalues of this world have become to him. The values of this world have becomeso greedy, materialistic, liberal, time and activity driven,anti-conservative, anti-family and confusing to children.He wanted to get away fromhis way of lifebut didn't know how. His wife was always working. Hisartistic trade was starting to pick up with the summer art show season causing less time for him and his daughter to be together.The world's value system was starting tocrept into his nurturing and parental responsibilites. He remembered someof his friend's children who were raisedin their parent's40 to 50 foot boat in theCaribbean and how emotionallybalanced, respectful, smart andun-influenced from television the childrenwere. He went on to say thatthese same children asyoung adultshad no problem getting accepted into universities of their choice and graduating with very wellrespected degrees.It was clear to him that having mom and dadalways around and being away fromthe values of mainstreamAmerica media was a major contributing factor to his friend's children's successes in life. Once again, this parent felt that he needed to seek something else out for him and his family but he didn't know how or where? I knew that feeling.... it's scary only to seewhat the world's valuesbeingoffer to you and your family. It's also scary to do what isright and give up the"things" in this life totruely find "life".I told him if he was feeling a push to seek a better life that he needed tocontinue to seek it. He knew my Christianview pointand replied, "I know what your getting at, I just don't have the guts." God has more to offer you then any job, any amount of money, any amount of possessions, any amount of fame, or any of those other things thatthis worldhasfor you in it's dark slippery pit. All the thingsthis world as to offerwill take you away from your family and God. This parent was going through this trail and struggle as a sign from God.He knew all thethingsthe world values, had nothing to offer to satisfiy a person's spirit. The values of the worldare dead ends. Heinstiinctively knewnothing could fill that God shaped hole in him or any of his family. He didn't just need God to show him the way but He needed to reach out to God and accept Him into his life so he and his family could find that peace andreassurancein what ever occurredin their life. Romans 8:26 "And theHoly Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the HolySpirit prays for us with groaning thatcannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knowswhat the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him...." When we go through trails and struggles, wealso may share in the similar experiences with non- Christians so we may understand what they are going through and may help bring them to Christ. Paul writes this in 1 Corthinians 9:22 "To the weak, I became weak, in order to win the weak, I became all things to all people, so that I may by means save some." We also may go through trails and struggles similar to what Jesus and others went through in the bible..... Has your understanding, patience, kindiness, sincere, loving thoughts and actionsever been trampled and stompedon by someone you care much about? Have you ever been accused of something you have never done? Have you ever been lied about? Have you ever been judged unfairly upon? Ever been hit or abused? Ever been cursed at and spit on? Everfelt punished for doing the right thing? Ever felt like a doormat? Think of what Jesus must of gone through for you and I.Weoften don't appreciate what someone has done for us unless we have gone through it ourselves.....the only thing is Jesus always said and did the right thing when he was treated in thesenegative ways and much worse. Here is a list to reflect on when you go through trails and struggles. 1. God showsand convicts us on what we shouldand should not do. 2. God shows us when we head off that Christ centered mindset or path. 3. It helps us turn away from sin and seek God and His salvation. "Suffering is all part of what called you to God." 1 Peter 2:21 4. Show us that the none ofthings thatthe world values will ever make us happy. 6. God reveals more of himself and his love for us when we go through trails and struggles. 7. God gives us the opportunity to share in similar experiences with non-christians so that we may understand and help them come to Christ. 8. God may have us go through trails and struggles similiar to what Jesus and others went through in the bible. We often don't appreciate what someone has done for us unless we have gone through it ourselves. I hope this hasbeen helpful to any of you as it has been to me. May God bless you and reveal more of himself and His will for you in this life.