FOODFORTHOUGHT

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.

PRAYER
"Lord, put within my heart a burning desire to be changed and transformed into your holiness. Let your Holy Spirit change my heart and renew me in your love and righteousness.

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