Why Does God Choose Such Hard Lessons For Me?
A dear friend read my post re: God “ruining” the life I think I want to have and was reminded of it when she saw this video on Resurrection Sunday:
He is Risen from Four Oaks on Vimeo.
The issues God gives us in life are all so different, yet they each feel insurmountable. My chalkboard would have to say stuff like “Husband doesn’t cherish me the way I long for” and “Addicted to Sweets”. Maybe “Selfish and Lazy”. They pale in comparison to the things some of these participants had to share. But they are my personalized lessons from my Teacher. And He knows just which lessons I need.
The other side of my board would say, “Discovered that God cherishes me”, “Satisfied with Him; He is enough”, and “Empowered and motivated by the Holy Spirit’s flow within”.
Everyone has issues they could record on the left side of a chalkboard like this. God personalizes them so that they will effectively do their work to bring us to a realization that we desperately need Him. That we cannot do this on our own…EVER!
I will never be anything on my own; I will never improve and “arrive”. What a relief! I can quit struggling and striving and instead allow Him to do it through me…for me!
What would your chalkboard say? Is there anything to write on the other side — the right side?
Mine are all works in progress. They are my strongholds for the Lord; the areas in which I recognize my weakness and call on His strength. They continue to “haunt” me day after day, offering me opportunity to call on His strength. I am learning to be grateful for them.
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
His grace, His strength and power and comfort, is sufficient for you today. Boast in your weakness. Go find a chalkboard. But be sure to fill in the other side and then realize: He is risen! He is victorious over my “issues”, and because I possess Him, I am too!
