Willingness To Accept Whatever Comes

                                             When The Door Slams

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you in faithful, and he will do it.                                                                                           1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 NIV

            Life is a task. A tough one. Sometimes it's absolutely unbearable. Some days we do well just to survive....to say nothing of excelling. Therefore, persevering becomes essential to living the only key that unlocks the door of hope. Through perseverance character is build, strong and solid character that brings about hope.  

            Paul said "We also have joy with our troubles, [Why?] because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope" (Romans 5:3-4). 

            Why keep persevering? Why continue standing against the strong currents of temptation, fear, anger, loss, stress, impossibilities, misunderstanding, and mistakes? Why fight defection? Why overcome inferiority? Why keep on waiting? I will tell you why. Because it is in the realistic arena that true character is forged out, shaped, tempered, and polished. Because it is there that the life of Jesus Christ is given the maximum opportunity to be reproduced in us, replacing a thin, fragile internal theology with a tough, reliable set of convictions that enable us to handle life rather than escape from it.

           Because life is a task, we need strength to face it, not just run from it. When the foundation shakes, when Christian friends--even the leaders--are immoral and falling into apostasy, when the bottom drops out and brutal blows attempt to pound us into the corner of doubt and unbelief, we need what perseverance offers: willingness to accept whatever comes, strength to face it head on, determination to stand firm, and have insight to see the Lord's hand in it all. 

Think about this: Without it, we stumble and fall. And God is grieved. With it, we survive and conquer. And God is glorified. 

            Renewal: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sister, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV).

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.   

                                                Never Rest Ministries