Is there purpose in pain?

We all suffer. In one way or another. Physically, emotionally, and sometimes even spiritually. As I pray and think about all those suffering in Boston this morning, I can’t help to wonder what, if anything, could the purpose be for such pain and heartache.

Is it even possible to find purpose in our pain? Is there something bigger than ourselves that can make our pain bearable, almost “worth it”? The Apostle Paul thought so. No stranger to the pain and imprisonment that accompanied his persecution as a follower of Christ, he penned these words:

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. — Philippians 1:12-14, NIV

God never said we would live without pain or loss. In fact, his Word tells that we will have trials in this life. But if we can allow God to work His purpose through our pain, then many will see and believe in the One who sustains and strengthens us in the midst of our suffering. Just when your pain becomes too much to bear, remember that Jesus suffered agonizing pain on the cross so that we might be forgiven from the sin that separated us from God and spend an eternity in heaven with him, where there is no pain.

The pain God has allowed to come into your life could be the very gift he uses to bring another soul into his kingdom. Not everything that happens to us in this life is good, but God will always bring good out of it. It is my prayer that God would use my pain and heartache to minister to someone else today.

If you are struggling today with some kind of pain or heartache, give it to God and see what He can do with it.






 

THANKFUL THURSDAY...people who led me to the Cross

Thank you for joining us for THANKFUL THURSDAY this week. As we approach the Easter weekend, I pray your heart is full of thanks as mine is.

Thanksgiving is the time of year that most of us hear sermons on giving thanks, but Easter is also a great opportunity for us to give thanks as we remember the sacrifice on the cross.

I thank my God every time I remember you. 
(Philippians 1:3) 

Often times, I have found that when I give thanks, it is mostly for the THINGS in my life; like food,, finances, clothes on my back, a house to live in, good health, etc. There is nothing wrong at all with giving thanks for these things, my friend, but as I look to the cross this Easter weekend, I have come to realize that often times I miss out on giving thanks for the biggest blessings in my life...PEOPLE, especially the ones that prayed for me, believed in me, mentored me and shared Christ with me.

Have you ever considered how empty and meaningless our lives would be without not only our relationships with people, but how empty and purposeless our lives would be without our relationship with Christ?

While it is easy to thank God for the THINGS in our lives, this Easter, may we remember to be equally thankful for the PEOPLE that God has placed in our lives that have led us to the Cross.

People and the Cross...two things that I am giving God praise for this weekend.

How about you? What about the Cross, His death, Resurrection and Everlasting Life are you grateful for...please share with us here today on THANKFUL THURSDAY. Next week we will meet over at GRACE ALONE where Iris will host for the month of April.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...trust

We took our granddaughter to the park. It was fun to watch her face as she came twirling down the slide, mixed with excitement and fear, all at the same time. The look of fear only lasted a minute, once she realized that Grandma was waiting at the bottom to catch her, the fear was gone and her face lit up with excitement and she was ready to go again.

I was thinking about my granddaughters reaction and thought how much we as Christians are much like her. Often times we find ourselves spinning and twirling thru life, hoping that someone will be there to catch us before we fall.

I am so thankful that at every slippery slope of life, God waits with open arms to catch His children. Some things may seem scary, but when we learn to trust God like my granddaughter learned to trust me, we will not hesitate to get back up and do it all over again.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am happy to be hosting for the month of March. Have you learned to trust God for even the things that seem twisted? Share with us your grateful heart of how God has caught you time after time.

Happy TT!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...waiting in line

It has been awhile since I have been to a concert, but this past weekend, I went with our church youth group to see Winter Jam. The concert was great, but the wait beforehand took alot of patience.

We arrived at the door 3 hours ahead of time, the wait time outside, in the cold, was 1 hour and 45 minutes. And as the time ticked on, the more compact we all became, as we crowded around the entry doors. I had forgotten how much I hate waiting.

But just like most things, good things come to those who wait. And soon the wait was over and by the end of the night, the wait was worth it. We were able to get good seats. As I sat there, I noticed the seats way up at the top, the place that most of us call the "nose bleed" section. I thought about the poor person who was last in line who had no choice but to sit way at top, far from everything.

Isn't it just like our fast paced society to tell us to be quick, to hurry up and to strive to arrive early and get to the front of the line. But Jesus tells us something quite opposite...

"To be first, we must be last." (Mark 9:35)

Jesus gave us many examples of how He, Himself, placed Himself below others. Whenever I find myself waiting in a long line, for a long time, I need to remember that being frustrated, impatient and counting the minutes is not a good attitude. Instead, may I be more like Christ, and may I put my selfish ways down and look around to see if someone else needs to go before me instead.

When is the last time you gave up your position so that you could be last? To have a servants heart, we must be willing to take the last seat, fix our plate at the fellowship dinner last, park in the last parking place far from the building, we must be willing to give our good seat up and sit in the nose bleed of life. If we want to make Christ first in our life, we may need to be last in a thing or two.

I'm thankful that God showed us the true spirit of sacrifice. May each of us this week look for ways that we can serve others by being last.

What are you thankful for today? I am happy to be hosting THANKFUL THURSDAY this month, won't you share your grateful heart with us by linking up below?

Are you a Sunday Morning only Christian?

It is happening more and more these days…Sunday evening church service becoming obsolete. I can’t figure it out, but for some reason people have become lacking in their faithfulness to Sunday evening services across America. So much so, that some churches have decided to just keep their doors closed in the evening.

You can blame it on Walt Disney, or ESPN. Or you can blame it on taking too long of a Sunday afternoon nap, no matter the reason; it is leading me to wonder if what I read recently could be true…

 “Sunday morning sofas,” the author observed, “are filled with people…who think they can exist without church. They believe in God, but spending a few hours in a pew doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Mobility, convenience and privacy are their gods. Consequently, they sacrifice enduring friendships and Christ-centered companionship.”

Wow. When I read that statement this week, I thought, that is indeed what the Apostle Paul referred to in the book of Hebrews.. He not only told us to worship together, but Paul also suggested that one of the purposes of worship is to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)

These are the kind of friendships that have made the difference in my life.

The Bible says, “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16)

Hal Donaldson, editor of Pentecostal Evangel, connects that verse and going to church so well…

 “Interdependence, not independence, is a key strength and fulfillment. We can no more disconnect ourselves from other members and remain healthy than we can disconnect the ligaments from the bones to try to live without veins and arteries.”

So, I have to ask a question …Are you a Christian with all of your ligaments and veins intact? Or have you disconnected and cut off a vital body part? The church needs you! All of you …so be faithful to the body of Christ!

LACED WITH GRACE...Be careful of who you trip

Today I have shared a devo with the readers of LACED WITH GRACE, entitled, "Be careful of who you trip." Please click the link to read this post...

"How ludicrous would it be if a child walked by us and we stuck out our foot and tried to trip them? Isn’t that exactly what we do spiritually when we continue to do things that we know causes someone to stumble? Going places we shouldn’t, associating with people we know we shouldn’t, listening to things that we know we shouldn’t…all of it is like sticking our foot out and tripping our brothers and sisters in the Lord."

CLICK HERE

LACED WITH GRACE...Answering the WHY questions

Today, I have shared a devotion with the readers of LACED WITH GRACE, entitled "Answering the WHY questions." Please join me over there today!

 

CLICK HERE to read this devo!