Sometimes life hurts!
Some times life hurts. If your life has been anything like mine-that's most definitely an understatement!
Many times I've been asked by those who were hurting, "Why me?" "Why my life?" "Why the person that I love?"
I've often reminded others and myself of the Scripture that says that the rain falls on the good and bad alike. Also the verse that says that God is no respecter of persons.
Well, today in my prayer time I read Hebrews chapter 12 a chapter that I've read sooooooo many times in the past. But never has it hit me as it did today. The light bulb came on!
What's even odder, I started this article weeks ago and had forgotten the subject, even what I had written so far. God didn't. I had only written the title and a few lines. Today I know that there's something that God wants you to know about the hard things and times in your life…He loves you!
He's molding and shaping you. Look at Hebrews 12 with me. It would be good if you took a few moments and read the chapter before we start together.
Hebrews 12:7a) Endure hardships as discipline;
Now lets' not get on the wrong track here…the word discipline isn't limited to punishment for something we've said or done that has angered God. Well it can be punishment for unconfessed sin in our lives; it can also be training. Yes, we ALL have sin in our lives, even though we don't like to or would choose not to admit it, or perhaps the Holy Spirit hasn't brought it to our understanding that we may confess it and be forgiven. We are human and sin is there. (If I've rubbed your fur the wrong way, just keep reading anyhow…)
Verse 12 says, 'Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.' Let's back up just a little to vs. 11 which says, 'No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.' Remember that in vs. 1 the writer talks about a race, 'let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.' Now what runner doesn't train? A foolish one! You and I may be able to run a distance without training and more than likely we'll become winded, sustain injuries or collapse. An athlete trains and trains, then they begin to train. They train for the long haul, even a sprinter doesn't train for just the short distance required to win. An athlete training to jump hurdles doesn't train to jump just 1 or 2 hurdles and then say, 'YES! I've done it!' That perspiration comes from WORK!
Vs. 4 says, 'In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.' This is referring to Jesus death on the cross, but are you remembering that Jesus prayed with such stress and fervor that he perspired drops of blood? I've not prayed to that point, endured anything to that point even though at times I feel that I've endured much.
Vs 3 says, 'Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.'
In training, the one being trained is disciplined to breathe correctly, carry their bodies correctly, and warm up those muscles before using them and allowing them to cool down afterward. They are disciplined in their eating and sleeping patterns that their bodies will be in top condition. I think of the Olympic and professional ice skaters that display such grace, poise and beauty on the ice. Only after they've succumbed to the discipline do they display grace. They make every move look so easy and so graceful.
Well I've some news for you…I can't even stand on roller skates or ice skates. I can promise you that while observing my display of talent-you would not witness poise or grace and the sight may put you in stitches as well as me, there would definitely be nothing beautiful about it. But then, I've not been (OUCH!) trained.
Is our race (although spiritual) any less important? No!
Our true enemy isn't ice, pavement or even gravity. Our true enemy has sworn to destroy us because he HATES God. He tries constantly & consistantly to pull us away from God and will use any means possible to discourage, distract or deter us from reaching our goal.
Listen to verse 5 & 6: 'And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons (children): 'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.'
(remember the word encouragement is what a washing clothes does to cause them to become clean - it agitates the daylights out of them)
Then he says, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons."
The way I understand things, we either succumb to the pressures and hardships of life or, we ask the Holy Spirit to help pull us up to our feet and keep us moving!
I've watched women who have done both and I've witnessed where giving in to the circumstances they were facing accomplished nothing. Those women displayed feelings of hopeless and they appeared miserable. Other women chose to fight and became hard, bitter and angry. A few displayed poise and grace, a quiet confidence that caused me to question them and learn from them, to learn that their strength came from God in all situations and circumstances. That doesn't mean they weren't fighting, but fighting in prayer by the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit. Their faith muscles were strengthened over and over that they didn't grow weary and lose heart. They made level paths for people like me who were weak and following along behind them to be healed and not disabled.
Adversity has caused me to be a fighter, not physically, but spiritually. Without the help of the Holy Spirit anger and bitterness sets in. Accomplishing nothing except to destroy me and pull down those around me.
Fighting physically against a spiritual battle is fruitless. Like shadow boxing or fighting the wind. How empty and what a waste of energy. I know, because I've done it.
The Scripture...."Pray without ceasing" isn't a suggestion, it's a command. There's good reason our Lord made it a command-prayer isn't and inborn reaction to anything! It's something we must discipline ourselves to do.