Have you ever had a bad experience and wondered why it happened to you? Or ask what you did to deserve it? I want to provide encouragement by reminding you that our trials and tribulations are meant to push us into something greater. Whenever you are faced with an adverse situation, pray and ask God this simple question: What’s next? Anytime there are bad things happening in our lives, we are being prepared for something greater. Don’t believe me?...Read your Bible. Everyone God chose to bless, dealt with some pretty difficult challenges first. In the book of Genesis, the stories of Noah and Abraham give us hope that our greatest challenges will prepare us for our greatest blessings.
The pressure from our bad situations will often leave us feeling broken, battered, and bruised. Take comfort in knowing that adversity will push you into your destiny! It will take you a step further in your journey toward victory. Life is just going to do what it is going to do. It is going to go up, it is going to go down, it is going to make you feel good, it is going to make you feel bad, it is going to make you feel unworthy, and it is going to make you feel exceptional. It is going to make you feel like you are on top of the world and it is going to bring you to your knees. In other words, life is unpredictable so prepare your mind for the roller coaster.
I like to teach using analogies. They help me make complex ideas easier to explain and share. I was watching television one day, and it brought me to this analogy. You know that lifeline that goes beep-beep-beep on the heart monitor in those dramatic TV shows, whenever someone is in the hospital? Think of your life as that line on the computer screen. It goes up and down and up and down, but when the lifeline goes flat, then that is it. It’s over. Like that line, the only time that you will not be experiencing those ups and downs is when you stop living. As you are struggling through your low points…those broken times, just remember that God is about to send you another “beep” to raise you up. The great thing about life is that when you get back to the top, you will have more tools on your tool belt…more wisdom, knowledge, and an extra boost of faith knowing that the brokenness you experienced prepared you for the next challenge.
Other examples of how God leads us through difficult times on the way to greater glory, can be found in nature. Just as grapes must be crushed to make wine, diamonds form under pressure, olives are pressed to release oil, and a seed must be cracked to grow, God knows that we must often be broken to release our fullest potential. You are that seed that needed to be broken to get to the next level. Rest assured that God is watering you and preparing you to grow under the warm light of his blessings. It is uncomfortable, and it may not feel good, but be comforted by the knowledge that God has something special planned for you.
Remember, all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Trust God and allow Him to make you whole again. He knows what it will take to break you, and He knows exactly what you can handle while He is rebuilding you. God has a process. In the first chapter of Genesis, He shows us how He created the heavens and the earth and how He did it in steps. Let Him use his strategy to develop you. Let Him mold you, strengthen your mind, mend your broken heart, and change your situation. He will give you peace and turn that brokenness into your greatest breakthrough. Let Him do it and watch God change things!
- Latonya Garth
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