Seeing the good in everything, does NOT come easy. I’ve been through the darkest of seasons in my own mind. And I’ve learned that pain without a purpose is what will destroy you.
God interrupted my darkest moment, through a message that came from someone unexpected, at the perfect time, and it kept me from giving up completely. It was a simple reminder, but profoundly changed me forever. I will never forget this truth as long as I live.
You see, I thought I had done something wrong. I thought God was crushing me. I thought he was punishing me for some reason. I was terrified to hope again, because how could I trust a God who would hurt me? I was so crushed by delay after delay after delay of seeing my hope fulfilled, that it twisted my thoughts into believing that God was doing this to me.
The simple truth was a light in the dark. And it’s this; no matter what, God is good, and the devil is bad.
Sounds so very simple. But when you’ve been to the very bottom, and you somehow come to believe the lie that God is the one who put you there, it becomes impossible for you to believe there’s a hope for you. He works all things together for our good. That means every bad thing that happens to us, he already has a plan to turn around for our good.
You forget you have an enemy, who despises your existence. Who sets out to purposely destroy and delay the good things God has for you, for no other reason than to turn you against Him. Because God can only operate to the capacity of our belief. Faith is His responsibility. Hope is ours. Which is why the enemy attacks it. When he steals our hope, he empties the power of our faith.
God works through the bad things, to refine you. To purify and prune you. To set you apart. Without the bad, you wouldn’t know the good. How many of you who are parents have ever said this “I hate seeing my daughter/son suffer, I wish it were me. I wish I could take it from them.”?
This is precisely what Jesus did, and if we are to follow him, then how can we be like him, and REJOICE in our suffering? When HIS LOVE is flowing through you, you can’t help but find compassion for others. On the other side, it will all become clear.
What you go through is not just for you. It’s so you can help someone else in their struggle. SO GROW THROUGH IT. It’s not that I found the light. It’s that light found its way to me, and now I can’t see darkness anymore, because I’ve learned there is ALWAYS a purpose in pain. I choose now no matter what to see light in everything, because the alternative nearly destroyed me for good. The purpose in pain, if for nothing else, is to allow yourself to grow through it, so you can bring a light to others in their darkest moments. So, you can be a picture of Jesus to them, ultimately leading them to His heart.
