"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (in Luke 9:23)
Well, possibly I do not deny myself the way I really need to; so I offer myself to our Father, for His correction > Hebrews 12:4-11. My own self has been my only real problem, making me so things can get to me and so I am concerned mainly about myself, instead of first being attentive to pleasing God and loving any and all people.
"'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:28-29)
I need to learn how to love, and personally submit to God and how He rules me > "continually" (Isaiah 58:11) >
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9) And Paul says how he took "pleasure" in his troubles (2 Corinthians 12:10). God's almighty grace can easily have us in His soul rest, even while different hard things are happening to us. But I understand that Paul means things he goes through for Jesus. So, I understand we all need to submit to God so we are in His grace even perfectly satisfying us while we go through things His way. And if we fail in this, this does not mean it is impossible, but that how we have done things has failed. And so we all need correction, I would say, more and more.
So, we should pray for each other while we pray for our own correction and submitting to God.
"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (in Philippians 2:13-16)
So, we need to not allow any anti-love things of arguing and complaining get to us, and degrade us from how we can become "blameless and harmless, children of God without fault" in God's love.
And I note that Paul says we can have all this "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation". So, possibly instead of trying to be taken out of this world, stay here and be taken into all which God's grace takes us
And our failure track record does not represent how God is able; so don't evaluate by however things have already gone and failed. And pray for and seek how God is able to have you helping others >
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
So, as we get into going through things for Jesus, we find ourselves more and more busy with comforting others, as our Father encourages us and has His way with us. God proves Himself to us, howsoever He pleases, then we minister this on to others. So, seek all which is possible with God. And so I need to go through things in His all-loving way, and not only being concerned about what is happening to my own self. I already have found out plenty about what is possible with me
now I need to trust God for all He pleases and is able to do . . . all He is committed to; I am not His counselor; so I can let go of things which have kept me elsewhere.
Trust what He has you learning in His peace.
