- Jun 21, 2005
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There is a Chinese proverb which states, A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a person perfected without trials. I suppose I must hold this truth dear because in dealing with my own past trials and tribulations, this has been the general philosophy that has helped me endure and get by. Interestingly, there are also numerous references throughout the Bible that echo this same sentiment.
I don't know why some people seem to be caught off guard when life does not always go perfectly. If Christ's life while He was on the face of the earth was not fully blissful, then why should we expect ours to be?
We are to expect a degree of persecution and suffering because if some people in the world hate God and His Son, Jesus Christ, so too will they hate those that bear His message. Just as Christ was mocked before His death on the cross, so too may we be called derogatory names, or looked down upon because of our faith.
When I look back at the hard times of my own life, I see that, as the above Chinese proverb states, each time I stumbled and fell did not break me, but helped to refine my walk with God. As I faced my own sins, I learned what my weaknesses were so that I could put up more strict boundaries; saying no rather than yes to actions and words that were displeasing to God. Rather than hold on to guilt over past repentant mistakes, I instead embraced God's merciful grace and love, using the testimony of my past to tell others that "If God forgave me, He will forgive you too."
We can either let such bumps along the path permanently steer us off course, or we can learn from our mistakes and gather wisdom.
Just as we have choice how we will handle suffering, trials and errors, so do we get to choose whether we accept or reject a relationship with our Creator.
Choose wisely. Your salvation depends on it.
I don't know why some people seem to be caught off guard when life does not always go perfectly. If Christ's life while He was on the face of the earth was not fully blissful, then why should we expect ours to be?
We are to expect a degree of persecution and suffering because if some people in the world hate God and His Son, Jesus Christ, so too will they hate those that bear His message. Just as Christ was mocked before His death on the cross, so too may we be called derogatory names, or looked down upon because of our faith.
When I look back at the hard times of my own life, I see that, as the above Chinese proverb states, each time I stumbled and fell did not break me, but helped to refine my walk with God. As I faced my own sins, I learned what my weaknesses were so that I could put up more strict boundaries; saying no rather than yes to actions and words that were displeasing to God. Rather than hold on to guilt over past repentant mistakes, I instead embraced God's merciful grace and love, using the testimony of my past to tell others that "If God forgave me, He will forgive you too."
We can either let such bumps along the path permanently steer us off course, or we can learn from our mistakes and gather wisdom.
Just as we have choice how we will handle suffering, trials and errors, so do we get to choose whether we accept or reject a relationship with our Creator.
Choose wisely. Your salvation depends on it.
