It has been a few days since I posted anything on the blog, mostly because it has been a very crazy couple of weeks, however I have seen God do some amazing work.
Let me give you some insight to what I have been learning: Yesterday one comment came from a group of pastor friends whom I meet with monthly to encourage me and it hit me that God was stretching me lately. I am so grateful that God loves me and wants to make me a better person. So here's the comment:
You will never grow your church beyond the pain you are willing to bear! WOW! WOW! WOW!
Until I am ready to endure the next level of pain I am not ready for what God wants to do in my life. I have seen this to be true and also heard it before just differently. Steven Furtick spoke at Catalyst and his message talked about the fact that God is preparing you for what He has prepared for you. We can't get to the prepared place until we are prepared people. Moses had to spend time away from Egypt in prep for leading Israel to the Promised Land. Abraham (whom we have been talking about) had to spend over 20+ years roaming Canaan before God brought him a son to complete the promise of God to make him a great people. Jesus spent three years enduring great disappointment and pain in preparation for the Cross. Now before you blow off, I did not liken myself to Moses, Abraham and certainly not Jesus, I am just using their lives as an example of the truth I have learned.
Often times we think life should be pain free, but I remind you that pain causes us to:
1. Appreciate being painless.
If we never had pain we would get comfortable with the status quo. God never promises us a perfect passage, but He does promise getting us to the desire destination.
2. Acknowledge situations and circumstances in our lives.
Without pain we would know something is wrong. When you cut a finger the pain tells you it is cut, without this sensation you would bleed to death. God in His infinite wisdom provided pain as a protective measure helping us see things as they are.
3. Adjustments made to make us better.
No pain no gain. Pain, if viewed from the right prospective will help you and get better. I remember as a kid being at my great-grandmothers house in Carnesville. It had coal burning heaters, often we would be warned that the heaters would burn us, but until I actually experienced the pain I didn't believe it burned. I touched it once and became a believer.
So what does that have to do with you?
Simply this, if you want to walk closer to Jesus tomorrow then you must be willing to endure pain. Sunday we will be talking about Endurance. So many people quit just before the payoff. We give up and miss God's best.
Ladies accept second best for a mate and end up regretting a marriage.
Men take another job for the greener grass, but end up missing a greater promotion.
Athletes take illegal substances in hopes of winning it all, but fail to realize their potential was greater than the goal.
What pain have you been enduring? Get ready the payoff is coming. I promise, I have seen it more lately than ever before and I am thankful for it.
Oh and by the way. I am ready for the pain. I want Fellowship Church to be even greater and would never want to hinder the work of God for self.
Love you all and see you Sunday
No comments:
Post a Comment