Last month I cut my finger pretty bad. At one point as I was watching the doctor put stitches in, I was overcome with fear and anxiety. I kept thinking, great God, I thought you loved me. Now I am on my way to the conference with a brain injury and a messed up finger, I tried to be fearless.
To make matters worse, it was time for me to flip my mattress; you don’t know how difficult it is to flip a bed mattress with stitches in your finger. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.
But, once I got it flipped and my bedding back on, I just fell across my bed and rolled onto my back thanking God that had made it through the humbling task. And for the second time in as many months, I began remembering God’s faithfulness. And I realized that whenever things aren’t going how I want, I begin to grumble and blame God, instead of praying.
Then I remembered what the apostle Paul said about trials (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). This is the man whom God sent on many dangerous adventures. Deep in the heart of man is a great quest for adventure!
ADVENTURE?
A great adventure is fun and sometimes bloodcurdling, they thrill us because we are not used to them. They get us out of our comfort zones. They make us feel alive. But the best adventures in life are the dangerous ones. Every soldier knows the action is on the frontline. But you can’t get comfortable or lazy there or the enemy will attack.
One of my favorite things about the apostle Paul is his honesty about all the trials and hard times he faced for the sake of Christ. Moreover his perspective sheds light on why Christians should welcome suffering and heartache.
Some of the best writings of Paul read like scenes out of an Indiana Jones film. The Apostle shares gruesome stories of going all out for Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:16-32).
Throughout the Bible and history there are stories of God’s people not living easy or comfortable lives. God often takes us down the long hard road to make us grow in our faith and spice up our lives, the trials won’t last forever.
Adventures are unexpected and the opposite of what we want or plan. I am persuaded more than ever, trials and hard times aren’t from the devil or God’s wrath—but a means to an end. They are God’s way of getting us out of our comfort zones and into His will. It’s the hard stuff in life that causes us to rely on God more, not the easy feel-good things or fancy houses and cars. Israel’s journey to the Promised Land is proof, what an adventure of hardship!
HARD STUFF?
The Apostle Paul’s Damascus Road experience was some pretty hard stuff. Not just because he was physically blinded. But because he learned that he had been spiritually blind all of his life. He learned that he wanted all of the wrong things (Philippians 3:7).
What is interesting is that once Paul lost what he valued, his life became more adventurous. A full life is going all out for Jesus. Yes it will be hard and yes we will get hurt. Sometimes by friends are really just backstabbers, but that is part of life.
Besides, everyone enjoys when the hero has the comeback. Conflict is what drives every story, even fairytales. The best love stories happen naturally. They aren’t arranged by man (but God) and they aren’t always easy. Because a man’s got to have something to fight for!
The strongest relationships are formed from the toughest battles; they keep you on your toes and always guessing. Expectations limit relationships. But if we learn to let go, adventure awaits us. And the journey often brings two people closer together.
This is a tried and true idea millennials need to learn. The cure for a dying relationship and a boring life is just a little adversity. Because what comes out on the other side is often stronger than what goes in. It’s the same way in life.
No matter what comes my way, I know that I am not alone and God is just trying to make me stronger. God’s will is to give us a full life, which is more than we can comprehend (Ephesians 3:20). Let God write your story, He is the author of history and more creative than any of us. Only He can make the impossible, possible.
My writing coach for the past five years DiAnn Mills says it best in her theme, expect an adventure! So dive in, you won’t be disappointed. Trials and hardships come because with God, life is always an adventure!
To make matters worse, it was time for me to flip my mattress; you don’t know how difficult it is to flip a bed mattress with stitches in your finger. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.
But, once I got it flipped and my bedding back on, I just fell across my bed and rolled onto my back thanking God that had made it through the humbling task. And for the second time in as many months, I began remembering God’s faithfulness. And I realized that whenever things aren’t going how I want, I begin to grumble and blame God, instead of praying.
Then I remembered what the apostle Paul said about trials (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). This is the man whom God sent on many dangerous adventures. Deep in the heart of man is a great quest for adventure!
ADVENTURE?
A great adventure is fun and sometimes bloodcurdling, they thrill us because we are not used to them. They get us out of our comfort zones. They make us feel alive. But the best adventures in life are the dangerous ones. Every soldier knows the action is on the frontline. But you can’t get comfortable or lazy there or the enemy will attack.
One of my favorite things about the apostle Paul is his honesty about all the trials and hard times he faced for the sake of Christ. Moreover his perspective sheds light on why Christians should welcome suffering and heartache.
Some of the best writings of Paul read like scenes out of an Indiana Jones film. The Apostle shares gruesome stories of going all out for Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:16-32).
Throughout the Bible and history there are stories of God’s people not living easy or comfortable lives. God often takes us down the long hard road to make us grow in our faith and spice up our lives, the trials won’t last forever.
Adventures are unexpected and the opposite of what we want or plan. I am persuaded more than ever, trials and hard times aren’t from the devil or God’s wrath—but a means to an end. They are God’s way of getting us out of our comfort zones and into His will. It’s the hard stuff in life that causes us to rely on God more, not the easy feel-good things or fancy houses and cars. Israel’s journey to the Promised Land is proof, what an adventure of hardship!
HARD STUFF?
The Apostle Paul’s Damascus Road experience was some pretty hard stuff. Not just because he was physically blinded. But because he learned that he had been spiritually blind all of his life. He learned that he wanted all of the wrong things (Philippians 3:7).
What is interesting is that once Paul lost what he valued, his life became more adventurous. A full life is going all out for Jesus. Yes it will be hard and yes we will get hurt. Sometimes by friends are really just backstabbers, but that is part of life.
Besides, everyone enjoys when the hero has the comeback. Conflict is what drives every story, even fairytales. The best love stories happen naturally. They aren’t arranged by man (but God) and they aren’t always easy. Because a man’s got to have something to fight for!
The strongest relationships are formed from the toughest battles; they keep you on your toes and always guessing. Expectations limit relationships. But if we learn to let go, adventure awaits us. And the journey often brings two people closer together.
This is a tried and true idea millennials need to learn. The cure for a dying relationship and a boring life is just a little adversity. Because what comes out on the other side is often stronger than what goes in. It’s the same way in life.
No matter what comes my way, I know that I am not alone and God is just trying to make me stronger. God’s will is to give us a full life, which is more than we can comprehend (Ephesians 3:20). Let God write your story, He is the author of history and more creative than any of us. Only He can make the impossible, possible.
My writing coach for the past five years DiAnn Mills says it best in her theme, expect an adventure! So dive in, you won’t be disappointed. Trials and hardships come because with God, life is always an adventure!
