Corinthians 11:23-30
It doesn't seem fair, does it? Paul spent his life serving Christ,
and yet he experienced continual suffering. Why would God let
one of His most faithful servants go through so much pain? This
isn't just a question about Paul; it's an issue we face today. In our minds, the
Lord should protect His loyal followers from hardships, but He doesn't
necessarily do so.
Maybe our reasoning is backwards. We think faithful Christians
don't deserve to suffer, but from God's perspective, suffering
is what produces faithful Christians. If we all had lives of ease
without opposition, trials, or pain, we'd never really know God,
because we'd never need Him. Like it or not, adversity teaches us more about
the Lord than simply reading the Bible ever will.
I'm not saying we don't need to know Scripture; that's our foundation
for faith. But if what we believe is never tested by adversity, it
remains head knowledge. How will we ever know the Lord can be
trusted in the midst of trouble if we've never been challenged by
hardship? God gives us opportunities to apply scriptural truths to the
difficulties facing us, and in the process, we find Him faithful. For example,
how would Paul ever have known the strength of Christ if he had never been
weakened by pain, persecution, and adversity?
Depending on your response, trials can be God's greatest means
of building faith or an avenue to discouragement and self-pity.
If you'll believe what Scripture says and apply its principles to
your situation, your trust in God will grow, and your faith will be
strengthened through adversity.
Have A Blessed Day!
It doesn't seem fair, does it? Paul spent his life serving Christ,
and yet he experienced continual suffering. Why would God let
one of His most faithful servants go through so much pain? This
isn't just a question about Paul; it's an issue we face today. In our minds, the
Lord should protect His loyal followers from hardships, but He doesn't
necessarily do so.
Maybe our reasoning is backwards. We think faithful Christians
don't deserve to suffer, but from God's perspective, suffering
is what produces faithful Christians. If we all had lives of ease
without opposition, trials, or pain, we'd never really know God,
because we'd never need Him. Like it or not, adversity teaches us more about
the Lord than simply reading the Bible ever will.
I'm not saying we don't need to know Scripture; that's our foundation
for faith. But if what we believe is never tested by adversity, it
remains head knowledge. How will we ever know the Lord can be
trusted in the midst of trouble if we've never been challenged by
hardship? God gives us opportunities to apply scriptural truths to the
difficulties facing us, and in the process, we find Him faithful. For example,
how would Paul ever have known the strength of Christ if he had never been
weakened by pain, persecution, and adversity?
Depending on your response, trials can be God's greatest means
of building faith or an avenue to discouragement and self-pity.
If you'll believe what Scripture says and apply its principles to
your situation, your trust in God will grow, and your faith will be
strengthened through adversity.
Have A Blessed Day!
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