Going and Growing through the Hurts

by Brother Earl Adams

Have you ever seen the illustration of the zebra whose stripes are unraveling?The caption says,"I Think I,m having stress!"

It always gets a good laugh,although I know from first hand experience that streess is anything but a laughing matter.

You can't identify because you have a problem free life? Then as I tell the folks who have attended my writing group, you probably haven't suffered enough to be a good writer.
Ouch! That's not want you want to hear. But Jesus never promised it would be easy to follow him. While I do not believe that he send stress into our lives, I believe he allows it. Fire is the only way through our faith, which is far more precious to God than mere gold", is refined and purified.(1peter 1:7)

How can you go through the hurts in your life?

Here are some things good has been teaching me-again.

Don't distance yourself from the Lord. It may sound like a cliché, but it's true. If God seems distant,he,d not the one who has moved.By and act of our wills we need to keep drawing near to the Lord during those times when we feel almost numb from the
Problem pressing in on us.(problems are groupies,they never seem to come single but rather attack in mass)

I remember the time when I was pasturing a small church that had planned to get me out of there church and lives. I had done nothing wrong, but satan was working hard to destory the church which was growing,his plan was to do it through me, to make a long story short the church sent me to take battery of test hopeing to prove that I was unfit to pastor.I Passed all test and returned to the church. In the process of a few months the church had ask me to leave in a manner that was anything but Christ like. I felt like God and man had left me and I was alone in solace and time with no direction in my life, Satan filled my mind with thoughts of killing some people and myself. I Went to stay with a friend and his family who got me some help through a Christian doctor, Who said I was suffering the worse case of clinical depression he Had seen. The thing that hurt me the most was the feeling that god had left me. For years I had felt so close to God I could reach out and touch him, Now he was not there, so I though. However what god did was allow to suffer through this depression and pain to prepare me for future ministry with people who had a simpler problem. I could not see it at the time and felt alone. He also changed my ministry to one of helping people face to face in small groups rather than a church setting. Thank God he had not left me at all, rather putting me through another tanning program.

Refuse to dwell on the negatives or to live in the land of regrets and if only. hanging in my office at home is a little sign that says "Today God and I can do anything together" and I need a reminder that no matter how dark things may seem, we can choose to look for and celebrate the blessings we take for granted. Ears to hear with eyes to see with legs to walk,a voice to speak for him and others and to sing his praises.Friends ,family and church we may not Have all these things ,but we can choose not to take for granted what we do have and to think about all we can praise god for and be glad about it. ( phil 4:8)

Be still and Know he is God ps:46;10

Focus on him-on his greatness and power,his love."His peace will keep your thoughts and you hearts quite and rest as you trust Christ.

Seek Prayer and Counsel of Christian friends and if necessary a professional.Gal;6:2 says,"Share each others troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord,s command."Doing so means taking off the mask we ware most of the time.Plus we need to go a step futher: Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so you may be healed."(james 5:16) In the process not only will we find Gods healing but our own problems will seem less overwhelming as we reach out to others.

Search for the truth that will set you free.
(john:8:32 so often we listen to the w wrong word as my friend Sue Cameron points out in her poem. We believe the evil one's accusations and accept his condemnation despite the fact that the Bible says"there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus>"(roman 8:1)

Hang on to his promises
All things do work together for good although we may not see how this side of eternity. We can however rely on the promises that
"he heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds(ps 147:3) But just as it takers time for the body to heal so too it takes time for battered emotions to heal,Don,t deny the reality of your pain.It,s okay to cry.That,s why god gave us tears.and remember,"Even when we are to weak to have and faith left,He remains faithful to us and will help us.(2 timothy 2:15)

Ask the Lord what are you trying to teach me? Then share what you learn with others.God does not waste pain and suffering. Instead, he uses it to mold us into the image of his son and to teach us lessons we would probably learn no other way. He wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled needing your sympathy and encouragment,we can Pass onto to them this same help and comfort God has given us>(2 cor.1:3-4) that's a promise we can cling to and act on. He is a Redeeming
God…………..amen.