It seems that no matter where
God takes me struggles are inevitable. I encounter them in my own life and I
certainly hear of them regularly from the lives that I am fortunate enough to
minister to. In many cases I am often
asked “why pain exists” or “why God allows us to go through difficult times”
and after a few recent encounters I decided to elaborate on a few life points.
So here are FIVE FACTS OF LIFE.
1-
Life
hurts:
John 16:33
says it best “I have told you these
things, so that in me you may have peace. In
this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world.” There is no value in denying it. Pain/trouble/hurt/difficulty is just a
part of life.
2-
Unless
we deal with pain properly it WILL accumulate in our heart:
There is an age-old
statement out there that says “Time heals all wounds”…well I am here to tell
you that statement is false! Time heals nothing. Over time, life experiences
don’t erase from our history or really even leave our minds. Instead they often
transform into subconscious addictions. For instance feeling rejection as a
young child may lead to a subconscious need to “fit in” in later years of life.
It also may develop into more severe issues like pornography addiction.
I have seen first hand that children growing up
without one or both of their parents actively involved in their life can become
poor parents themselves when they have children. This is because what is in our
“heart” as we call it, is what makes us who we are! We must not allow pain to
make a home in our hearts because the result can be a major flaw in our
character and can prevent us from being great!
3-
Accumulated
pain and unresolved problems compromise our emotional, mental, relational and
spiritual health
Although
many times we discount the value of pain and act as if it’s really no big deal,
the truth is pain is just the beginning. It is unhealthy for us to “bottle up”
pain, ignore it, or use it as an excuse to fail in key areas of life. The
method of coping with pain that we choose effects our health in ways we could
never imagine. There is no doubt that as our emotional, mental, spiritual and
relational health is effected that we begin to transform and it is of the
utmost importance that our life transformations be ones that make us better…not
worse!
4-
We ALL
deal with pain
We have to
stop allowing ourselves to believe that
we have just “ignored” pain or found a way to live without it…EVERYBODY deals
with pain, and the process of obtaining freedom may begin at recognizing what
our method of “dealing” with pain is…
I am a great example of this. In
fact people have often told me that I seem to operate without emotions. I
became a master at hiding my pain deep inside; to the point that I thought I
was functioning without it. But the pain of my past made a home in my heart and
operated in my self-conscious. The way I viewed people, the process by which I
made decisions, the places I went were all byproducts of changes in my
character brought on by pain.
Little did I know that if I simply
faced my pain and communicated with God about how I felt, that his spirit would
bring me liberty! I realized that once I gave my pain to Christ it became my
renewal. Once I turned it over, I was free from it. Once I stopped trying to
prevent that pain from reoccurring, I had hope again. Hope in Jesus…and that
hope meant that my dreams were reborn! In my newfound freedom I could achieve
greatness because I was willing to take risks again! The broken heart that I once used
as an excuse to hide became a badge of honor that symbolized my victory!
5-
The
only way to stop pain and totally resolve it is to turn toward God!
Simply put,
there is but one way to keep your dreams alive. One path to see yourself
develop daily into a better version of you! The only way to live a life that is
both satisfying and worth while is to embrace the pain that life brings and
proclaim victory over it!
Imagine a soldier that trains day in
and day out preparing for battle only to get to the front lines of the war and
break down at the first sign of trouble… it’s a bit silly huh?
This is what
we must be careful to avoid because we are kingdom people who are fighting a
daily battle with the enemy and if we do not embrace the ugliness of the fight
then we will never really see how sweet the victory can be! Think of every
trial in life as preparation for progress!
Romans 5 says it beautifully…“we
glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance,
character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame,
because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,
who has been given to us.”
It is time that we as believers declare our victory!
Child of God, YOU are NO LONGER defeated by pain. It does not have a stronghold
over you anymore. What the enemy intended for bad, God will use to your
benefit. He said in his word that “all things work together for good for those
that love him” well let me ask you, do you love Him? If so, then simply say “It
is well.”
The very people that I claim (Believers) and give of myself to help are the first ones to turn their backs in my time of need!
HOWEVER, in this all,
regardless of what I endure, what people say, and the rejection that this world
brings, I am confident to say "It is well...it is well with my soul"
because I have been called by the most high God. I have answered that call, and
the very ministry that I am living out is changing lives for Jesus! I have not
given up and I NEVER WILL! I am a Soul Winner, and the anointing of God has
been placed upon my life, my music, and my label! When the cd's don't sell, the
gospel does... when the radio stations don't play the song, a person in need
does, when the artists walk away, a hurting child walk towards me...when many
others are putting on concerts in front of crowds of other artists, I'm in the
streets finding a way to change a life! I am more than a conquerer and no
weapon formed against me, not even the ones formed by other believer's shall
prosper! My dreams are HIS visions, and in this story, dreams come true!
Hold on to your dreams...
Point5
