I don't like pain

1 Peter 3:14-15 (NASB) --- But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

I don't like suffering at all. Yet it is a part of life. We have had people around us who have hurt for so many reasons. Some of the reasons were self inflicted. Choices were made that led to the results of suffering physically, emotionally or even spiritually. Some suffering comes for no reason at all. Such was the case of Job.

The verse above has been running through my mind since late last week. It was part of my sermon this past Sunday. It talks about God working in our lives when we seek Him and want Him. Yet suffering will still happen. What do we do when suffering comes to us?

The first or maybe most natural happening is fear and worry. See the verse above. God's first word to us is not to worry but let Him work in our lives.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) --- Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

That verse has brought comfort to me for 2 decades. It has also brought me back to reality. When pain comes, stop worrying and start trusting. When you suffer, stop blaming and start believing. No, that is not easy, but faith is just that, a God thing and not a human or natural thing. To trust God is out of context for the person who lives by what they feel.

What happens when we trust God? We gain perspective over our situation. We gain help in the situation because we stop throwing junk and start leaning on God. Plus, it gives us something to share with others we encounter who are suffering or going through times that are hard to understand.

We find ourselves at The Community being able to talk with lots of people and almost all of them are going through pain and suffering. It is only when we get honest about our own pain that we can help others who are going through pain.

So, begin to share from where you are, from where you hurt and from how good God is working. That will change your lives and the lives of people who hear your story and as they see God through your life.

Stop worrying. Start trusting. Stop blaming and start believing. God is working in your life. Let Him!

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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