When I painted my room a year and a half ago I wanted to write my favorite verse above my bed because it was a verse that I wanted to start living my life by. But, it wasn't until recently that I realized the real meaning behind this powerful verse. It seems like everyday I will get on Facebook and see someone talking about the horrible day they are having and wondering "why this would happen to them", and I will admit that some days that was often me posting that about my day. Recently I have realize another way to look at days like this. I came across an amazing verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and after a little research I have a new out look on the hard times in my life. The verse reads, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
After reading that I realized that the reason why we have to go through weakness is because it provides the ideal opportunity for the display of Gods power in our lives. God uses these times to draw us closer to him and make us realize that he is the reason we are so blessed in our lives. I think we are so spoiled and use to the blessings that God provides us with that we complain about the times that everything doesn't go the way we want them to go. The truth is is that they should not go the way we want them to go but the way that God wants them to go.
It has seemed like to me that the easiest times to drift away from God are the times that everything is great in my life and I don't feel like I "need God" as much as I do other times. Its almost like we use God when we need him and blame all of the bad things in our life on him but don't give him the credit for the good in our lives. I think that is why God puts these handicaps in our lives to remind us and keep us in constant touch with our limitations. I thought for a long time that the reason God put these handicaps in our lives was to punish us for sinning against him and just kind of showing us who is in charge. But I think the opposite is true. Trouble and suffering are not always a punishment for sin but is a discipline that results in spiritual gain.
So instead of only drawing near to God when we need him we should, "Be joyful always" not allowing tough times to get us down but embracing them as a way to grow closer to God. We need to "Pray continually" so that we have a constant relationship with our Father and thank him everyday for the blessings he has giving us. And finally "Give thanks in ALL circumstances" not just the times where life is great but for provide us with these handicaps as an opportunity to draw closer to him. We should thank God everyday for allowing us an opportunity to live another day and for his most important gift of giving his Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins so that we can live forever with our Father in Heaven. So, as you go through the next few days and weeks try to keep this in mind and you will be surprised at how much happier you can be realizing that God has an ultimate plan for us and that God will always take care of his children!
