Fix You – Tough-Times Growth – Part 2

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

Sometimes, bad things happen even to those we’d call ‘good people’. Knowing a Sovereign God who could command a whole legion of angels to meet your every whim, but for some reason doesn’t, might be frustrating at times. So why doesn’t God sort out all our problems? It’s not that God isn’t bothered by your pain. Your pain hurt God so much that He sent His Son Jesus to carry it, to bear it, to redeem not only it, but to redeem us. And then God wants to bring us closer to Himself. He wants us to have good qualities that reflect Him; He wants character, perseverance and hope.

Instead of gift-wrapping those qualities and handing them to us on a plate, He puts us in situations where we have to develop them. Those sorts of situations are not usually nice. God’s using your exact situation to discipline you: to disciple you. ‘No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening–it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way’ (Hebrews 12:11).

When you pray for blessings, you might be thinking of achievements, money, or that special someone stepping right into your life. But there’s more to be gained in this life than those things: God sees the bigger picture of your character development. The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 give an alternative definition of ‘blessed’. Special mentions go to the poor in spirit and the persecuted. When we do eventually leave this life, and meet God face to face, what will we actually get to take with us? Wrong way to say it: Jesus will take us with Him. And when He takes us, He will take the character He has developed in us. Won’t you let Him develop His character in you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I’m a fixer upper – work Your mercy and miracles in my life! In Jesus’ Name, Amen