Transformed By Trouble

What a day it was yesterday! It was great seeing those in worship, class, and potluck. A few of us remained for a meeting discussing worship service/lesson points for the next several months. Some of us didn't leave until 3:30 p.m.!! We're getting ready to plan the Easter weekend! Tentatively, the theme is: "From The Grave To The Sky" based on the song, "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High". I'm really excited about this!!

Please take a look at the picture above. God is using a chisel to chip off rough edges that we may have in our life. God uses circumstances to develop our character. Did you not know that He depends "more" on them (circumstances) to make us like His Son, Jesus? I am going to be using some or most of Rick Warren's quotes from the Purpose Driven Life book, chapter 25. But first, let's look at this verse:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

This is the very words of Jesus. You will never have "no problems" for the rest of your life. There's no such thing as "problem-free living". Rick Warren wrote, "Every time you solve one, another is waiting to take its place. Not all of them are big, but all are significant in God's growth process for you."

You may say, "Hey God, what's up with this? Why am I going through this?" Well.. We should be grateful! God uses problems to draw you closer to Him. Here's an interesting thought:

"Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be your darkest days - when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you're out of options, when the pain is great - and you turn to God alone."

Amen?! Perhaps, some of you do think this way. We may say we're not blessed because of the trials we're enduring. That's not true! Blessings doesn't fall on the things you have alone. It's also a blessing to have problems in our life. They help us grow. They help us unite. They help us stay together and depend on each other. They help us be humble. Now, speaking of "humility", this is an area where each of us need to work on.

"Humility help us lower our defenses and open ourselves seeking & accepting God's provision through His faithful and mature children (Christians)."

Here's Paul's testimony during his adventurous life:

"We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us." 2 Corinthians 1:9 (LB)

Rick wrote, "Everything that happens to a child of God is "Father-filtered", and He intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad."

There's a spiritual significance through the trials we face. They help shape us to be more like Christ. Some of us are very slow in being shaped like Jesus. Or some of us make it extremely difficult for others (through God's words, providence and hands) to shape them. I like how Rick described us:

"We are like jewels, shaped with the hammer and chisel of adversity. If a jeweler's hammer isn't strong enough to chip off our rough edges, God will use a sledgehammer. If we're really stubborn, he uses a jackhammer. He will use whatever it takes."

Awesome, huh!?? Have you ever felt the effects of a jackhammer through their critical words of love? If you have become defensive against any weapons of God (Scripture/spiritual thoughts), then you have pride. Pride never likes a jackhammer, nor a sledgehammer. Pride don't mind a chisel because it wouldn't even make a slightest dent in their heart. But a sledgehammer/jackhammer does rock pride around. Pride fears it will be cracked away from the person's life. And it will hurt to let go pride; some extremely painful!

Rick goes on, "Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber. Paul said, "We know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character. What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you. Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever."

Here are a couple of points to help us be "Transformed By Trouble" based on Rick's PDL:

1. Remember that God's plan is good.
Remember Jeremiah! Remember Isaiah! Remember Job! Remember Joseph!
Rick helped us understand things when God says no to us, "Whenever God says no to your request for relief, remember, "God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best." Hebrews 12:10"

2. Rejoice and give thanks.
Isn't this something we don't do when we're having problems? We scold God for the troubles in life. We blame our friends and families for the problems you're enduring. We attack others when they "counterattack" with spiritual measures (they intend to help but end up being victimized). When we're having problems, we want others to have problems by causing one in others.

The Bible says, "Rejoice in the Lord always" Philippians 4:4.. We can also rejoice in knowing God is going through the pain with us.

3. Refuse to give up.
In Rick's book, "Be patient and persistent. The Bible says, "Let the process go on until your endurance is fully developed, and you will find that you have become men of mature character... with no weak spots." James 1:3-4 (Phillips)

Sadly, many of us have failed or are failing to achieve God's best in our lives!! We stop short. We give up. You may notice you're progressing slowly but the painful truth is:

"Character building is a slow process. Whenever we try to avoid or escape the difficulties in life, we short-circuit" the process, delay our growth, and actually end up with a worse kind of pain - the worthless type that accompanies denial and avoidance." (PDL, pg. 199)

Instead of saying, "Comfort me, Lord," say, "Conform me, Lord". Rick says, "You know you are maturing when you begin to see the hand of God in the random, baffling, and seemingly pointless circumstances in life."

Think of yourselves like an ant. After hours and hours of hard work building a anthill, someone comes and deliberately destroyed your hill, all the seemingly-pointless-hours-dirt-by-dirt-work, the hill was destroyed in a flash. But the ants resume to rebuild what was lost, dirt-by-dirt, piece-by-piece. They don't seem to complain. They don't seem to mind. They know it's a "random" thing, but life goes on.

Rick says, "If you're facing trouble right now, don't ask, "Why me?" Instead ask, "What do You want me to learn?" Then trust God and keep on doing what's right. "You need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion. Hebrews 10:36 (msg)"

Whether He'll use a hammer, a chisel, a sledgehammer or a soul-rocking jackhammer, don't give up - grow up!!!!!