There was a time when my life went pretty smoothly, and I had biblical "formulas" for all of life's problems.
It wasn't until I experienced chronic health problems, broken relationships, deep heartaches, and scores of other challenges and difficulties that I realized my pat answers weren't really scriptural.
I was a genuine believer, but my faith was shallow and untested.
I began to wonder if my brokenness made me useless to God. After all, my life was no longer "picture-perfect."
In reality, I was becoming more useful.
Something new was happening to me.
I was learning perseverance and trust.
“The testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:3-4
I’m still on that journey, failing at times, but persevering and growing stronger spiritually.
Christianity isn't a "formula faith." It's dynamic, alive, useful, mysterious, and wondrous.
Formulas fail, but every principle in Scripture can be tested and proven true (Proverbs 30:5).
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Bible Love Notes
Amen!! For its easy to Praise God For all you have when nothing major is going wrong. It's When You can Praise him in the Midist of your Storms is When you gain Real Faith & Strenght in God. Myself personally, even as a child who believed in Jesus 100% w/o a shadow of doubt, When thru he'll & he'll all around me. Don't get me wrong, I Did have some amazing loving family times to. But my life& my mom's was like living inside of a ticking bomb & never knew how many times or when it was going to go off. See my Dad was Very ill thanks to These wars we have. A Missile Bomb went off when my dad was under the waters. Only him & 1 other man lived off of their Navey Ship. He had Serve seizures of highest degree and everytime he would have a seizure a brain cell popped! So by the time I dad killed himself, (after beating my mom up 1 more time) his life he only had a half a brain left. Dad himself bc He Didn't want to keep hurting my mom. He Did loves us 100%! He Loved & Was a Saved man who Preached from time to time. On his 'Good days '. Dr Jeckel & Mr. Hide (mixed w/the Incredible Hulk) That was My Dad. Anyways, I Learn as a Child growing up that: Jesus Doesn't promise that Bad things won't happen to us.. He promises that Were Never Alone & Hell carry us thru it til were strong again. Since then I the Deeper & more Spiritual end of Our Saviour. And I've Learned Who the True attacker us in our lives. For we Don't Fight, Fleash 2 flesh, But Spirit 2 Spirit. That's when I Also learned We Have Power Over the 4foot slimy demon. We have Power over him thru the blood of Jesus Christ. As Long as I Stay Strong thru Our Saviour, I Can put the demons n their Rightful Place..Hell.
ReplyDeleteBut when I Fall away from, or Slack... Only then am I overcame, instead of an Overcomer thru Christ. I still stumble & fall.But Praise God I Never lose My Love& Trust, Nor believing in Our Precious Saviour. He'll still came & gone after my Dad died. God Bless you & Know Your Never Ever Alone!! You Are An Over comer!! Love you for sharing.Im going to share a lot.llot.lol
I'm so sorry that you had to suffer through so many difficulties, Andrea. I'm glad that God has guided you and given you a peace about these things. I pray you continue to let Him guide you.
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