“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.”
–Matthew 16:24 (KJV)
As I continue to open up about my faith and the obstacles that I have had to face to get to where I am now, I have faced a lot of opposition. Lately, it feels like people, especially those who do not believe in God, are questioning everything I talk about regarding my faith.
As I continue to open up about my faith and the obstacles that I have had to face to get to where I am now, I have faced a lot of opposition. Lately, it feels like people, especially those who do not believe in God, are questioning everything I talk about regarding my faith.
I have talked to friends from all different faiths throughout my life, because I do not believe in blindly following something, especially someone or something I cannot see. I also love to learn more about different cultures and how different people live.
Many people think that once you surrender your life to God, your life will all of a sudden become super easy. Money will start pouring in from nowhere. Success will be yours.
However, as someone who has believed in God throughout my entire life, I can say that I feel like sometimes the struggles become greater when you surrender to God.
I believe that it’s not because He’s a terrible God. I actually think it’s because He knows what He is doing, even when it seems like He doesn't. I completely believe that He gives us challenges to mold us into who He wants and needs us to be. I want to share some of my favorite Bible passages that speak about how God works in our lives through the obstacles we face.
“Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations, knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance. But let endurance have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
–James 1:2-4 (Darby)
“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”
“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”
-1 Peter 1:6-7 (KJV)
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
-2 Corinthians 12:9-10
(KJV)
“we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance; and endurance, experience; and experience, hope; and hope does not make ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by [the] Holy Spirit which has been given to us.”
“we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance; and endurance, experience; and experience, hope; and hope does not make ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by [the] Holy Spirit which has been given to us.”
–Romans 5:3-5 (Darby)
God does not promise us an easy life. Jesus did not have an easy life either. He was persecuted, mocked, ignored, ridiculed, tested, bruised, broken and murdered so that we could be free. He was betrayed by one of his followers, Judas. He loved everyone, even those who hurt him deeply.
God does not promise us an easy life. Jesus did not have an easy life either. He was persecuted, mocked, ignored, ridiculed, tested, bruised, broken and murdered so that we could be free. He was betrayed by one of his followers, Judas. He loved everyone, even those who hurt him deeply.
I believe that God allows certain things to happen in our lives and some of those things are evil because we live in a broken world. However, God helps us to get through the challenges and obstacles. He gives us everything we need to get through them, especially the strength that only comes from Him.
I would not be here without His strength in my life. I would not be typing this blog post. It is only by His strength that I wake up each morning and fight through another day, even when it feels like I have no strength left.
Through the challenges, we grow and learn so much more than if we had not gone through those challenges. As we go through the painful moments, sometimes it is so difficult to see what God is going to do through the storms. But He is always with us, especially in the storms of life. We never are alone.
It takes faith in the storms to keep going, to believe that a better day is on its way.
Ultimately, we know that good will overcome and be triumphant. Jesus conquered sin, death and evil on the cross. No matter how many evil things happen in our lives, we know that good will win.
Because it already has.
With our faith, there is nothing that we cannot do.
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