I was having a conversation last night with one of our board members. Talking about faith. Talking about our relationships with Christ. We agreed that being humbled quite possibly is one of the most important times in a man’s life. It’s in those moments that we can truly look at ourselves and figure out what it is we need to work on. Those times can be hard. Very hard. But, those times can be beneficial. Very beneficial. If we let them. We have to look at those as the times we can truly grow. It’s up to us.
Some might think I was crazy. But, when I used to work out, I loved the pain. I knew the pain was going to lead to building strength. During those moments of pain, our muscle fibers are being broken down, then built back up. The same can be said about our spiritual lives. God provides moments for us that can be painful. Moments where we wonder, why it is we are going through, what it is we are going through. We question those times. How could God allow this to happen? Moments where our health isn’t so good. Moments where our relationships seem to be falling apart. Moments where we lose loved ones to death. So much pain can come from these. It’s natural to wonder why.
For believers, I would like to suggest that it’s during those times that God is building us for something that’s coming. Preparing us. We might not know it at that moment. But hold fast. God is setting us up for something. For non-believers, I would like to suggest that it’s during those moments that God is breaking their hearts. Convicting them. Telling them that they need to turn towards him. Telling them that he is there if they seek him. He will not stop convicting them either. Actually, he will not stop convicting us. As I said earlier, it’s during those moments that he’s building us. So today, let’s look at those hard times as opportunities to grow. To grow in our personal lives. To grow in our personal relationships. And most importantly, to grow in our relationships with our Lord and Savior.
