Pain

I love to be comfortable. I love my comfy Steeler blanket and my fuzzy socks. However, I've been thinking lately a lot about risk and facing things out of my comfort zone. I want change in my life, but I don't seem to want to be uncomfortable to get that change. I want change to be easy. Guess what? It's not. It cost something. I have to be willing to be honest about my weaknesses. I have to be willing to look at areas in my life that aren't pretty. I have to be willing to hurt. And, when it starts hurting, I need to not run away. A friend of mine said this to me, "Learn the difference between waiting and walking away." Many times I just want to walk away. There are times in my life when walking way was the painful thing I needed to do. But, I think there are times I need to just wait~ feel the pain or disappointment. Let God into that pain. I read this yesterday: My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

I can surrender my weakness over to God. He will glorify Himself in it. He is with me in my weakness. Will the pain leave? Not always. I believe He allows us to feel our weaknesses and pain to bring us to our knees at His feet. We exchange our strength for His. He won't always take the pain away, but He will meet us there in that pain. Paul said in II Corinthians, "And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." The problem with us (I mean me) is I don't want to be weak. I don't want to be vulnerable. I don't want to put myself out there. I DON'T WANT TO HURT AGAIN. But, you know what I'm finding? Every. Single. Time. God is there. He is right there with me saying, "Yes, you can can! You can do all things through Me who strengthens you." You can hurt and get up and keep loving. Keep living. Keep giving. Because it's no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. I'm moving from glory to glory. Painfully. Dying each step of the way.

The funny thing is it's good! Pain with purpose. God doesn't allow pain because He wants to see us hurting. He allows it because it's part of life that can't be avoided. We live in a fallen world. We are sinful people. He told us that in this life we will have many trials but to be of good cheer for He has overcome the world. Hope! He wants us to experiences Him~His life in the midst of this fallen world. He wants us to surrender our life for His. The more we let go, the more He can live that life through us. James 1 says this:

You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you can become mature and well-developed, not deficient in anyway.

Let the pain and pressure do it's work in you. Don't run from it. God is right there. Let go and let Him do the work in you. Don't try and do it yourself. Trust Him to meet you in the pain.