Hey, Y'all,
Got some interesting responses to the past couple of RSTs--will pass those on in the next few days. Today's thought continues the idea that we have a unique "shape" that is in part a product of our experiences (and it's based on an essay by Rick Warren entitled "Make The Most Of Your Memories"):
We rarely see God's "working for our good" in pain or failure while it is happening. Only in hindsight do we understand how God enabled a problem to "work out for our good" as we are promised in Romans 8. That is why it is important for us to take time to remember our memories.
Some memories, even in hindsight, are painful to deal with. It is easy for us to feel resentful toward people who have caused us pain, or even to question why God would allow us to go through the experience at all. But God knows these things happen to all of us, and--this isn't easy--because of His ability to bring good out of bad situations we should gratefully accept the way He shapes us in these experiences. The Bible says, "What right have you, a human being, to cross-examine God? The pot has no right to say to the potter: 'Why did you make me this shape?' Surely a potter can do what he likes with the clay!" ( Rom. 9:20-21 JB)
Who you are today was sovereignly determined by God, so you shouldn't resent it or reject it. Instead of wishing "things" were different or trying to reshape yourself to be like someone else, you should celebrate the unique "shape" God has given you through your experiences, good and bad. "Christ has given each of us special abilities -- whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts." (Eph. 4:7 LB)
Forgotten experiences are worthless, however. Moses told the Israelites, "Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him" (Deut. 11:2 TEV). Paul worried that the believers in Galatia would waste the pain they had been through. He said, "Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not!" (Gal. 3:4 NCV). Extracting the lessons from your experiences takes time. Pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life, the good ones and the bad ones, and consider how he wants you to use those lessons to help others.
Hmmm...that's pretty hard stuff. Believe me when I tell you that I know some of you have gone through dark places that I can only see in my own darkest nightmares, so by no means am I pretending to have the answers. But there's something to this ability of Our Father to do this "God-sized" thing, and that's to support us so thoroughly in the hard times, even the ones that seem too heavy to bear, that when we come through the other side we are permanently changed by His presence there with us. We're wounded to be sure--with a few more gray hairs (or fewer ones of any given shade) and more non-laugh-lines, but we are better, more patient, more mature and tolerant, with better perspective and understanding and empathy for others who are suffering as well.
I'm going to mull that one over a bit more...not 'cause it's easy, but 'cause it's true: God enables our suffering to become bearable and to take on meaning which prevents the bitterness of senseless suffering, and He is thus in fact able to bring good out of bad--not that bad becomes good--it's still painful; it's just not merely meaningless suffering, it becomes what James 1 said it would become--an opportunity to choose to recall the painful memory rather than shun it, to share it with God, and to be transformed (by our profound conversations with Him about our pain) into better people.
You've been prayed for today--have a happy and restful Sabbath.
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