LIFE

Alrighty people. Today, we are going to talk about…..

Life. 

And the things in life that drag us down. 

And how we can use those things to encourage us!

So let’s use an analogy. We students carry around backpacks with heavy books all day long. In the same way, the rocks (struggles) in our backpack (life) weigh us down. 

After all, they do say, “No pain, no gain,” right?

As Clayton Small once said, “Life is pregnant with possibilities, but some deliveries are hard.”

Before you can move on to the point where your trials encourage you, there’s a few things you have to do first. 

*Figure out what your Goliath is. Your idol. Your comfort. Your sin. Sometimes abandoning what you love is what you must do in order to obey Christ. And remember that your comfort zone is where we never find out how God will use us. When we pretend we aren’t broken or thirsty-we short circuit God’s grace in our lives.

*Get into the Word! Not growing in your faith is simply caused by lack of passion. After all, you are only as passionate as you intend to be. *Ouch. That one stung.* Strenuously commit yourself to growing spiritually. 

*Recognize that apart from God you can do nothing, and know that God loves you! 

There is a shack inside of me. It is dirty and moldy. But then Jesus comes in and I say, “What are you doing here?” and he says to me “I love you. Right here.”

Acknowledge the nature of your heart, because your heart has the capacity to do more wrong than we care to admit. Ask God to search your heart. Allow god to change your heart. 

God looks at us and says, “I knew what you were going to do every day of your life, and still I sent Jesus to the cross, and still it was worth it.

*Remember that good things take time. God is bigger than all of our sins and brokenness!! 

*Stop ignoring your sin!! 

Don’t ignore bad habits, unhealthy relationships, or tough circumstances. You will become overwhelmed! Leave your baggage at the cross and stop embracing it! 

Misplaced desires will ruin you spiritually. The area of your life that keeps you from Christ is the area that is least surrendered to him. 

The best thing that can happen in your life is to get caught in your sin. And if you have trouble recognizing a sin, ask yourself, “Would I do this if Jesus were standing right next to me?” (aka, he always is). Remember that if you know something is wrong, but you continue to do it anyway without feeling guilty, that’s where you have a problem. 

*Don’t give up. Because if you bail, you fail. When you bail during conflict, you are robbing yourself of what God is trying to do in your life.

*Be intentional with your decisions. That is how you will grow and make disciples. 

Okay, now you may be wondering, how in the world can these terrible aspects of life encourage me or motivate me…..?

You’re probably thinking I’m psycho. 

But I’m not! I promise!

Okay…well maybe just a little…but that’s beside the point.

When you are struck with trials, stand strong in your faith, and don't let them get you down! Just because you fail does not mean you are a failure!

God sends us trials so that he can examine our heart. We don’t always understand why He sends us these trials, but we must trust Him! He allows bad things to happen to us so that we can show people how to glorify Him in all stages of our life!

It may not seem like it, but mistakes grow your faith!

When you take step back and look at your life, remember that God can do immeasurably more. Remember that the safest place you can ever be is in the center of God’s will. God’s will is accomplished through difficulties and frustrating times. Simply open up your eyes to see how God is using your circumstances to shape your life, and don’t let your circumstances discourage you. It is not the circumstance that stinks, it’s the way you interpret it. After all, we only see a piece of the puzzle, where as God sees the whole finished masterpiece. 

Until we are put in a situation where God is all we have, we realize he is all we need. Our weakness is a platform for God’s strength, and we must dig beneath our discouragement and there we will find our foundation. If we just have confidence in God, you will feel secure in times of defiance.

Take your situations and don’t ask why anymore.. Ask how are you going to use this through me to the impact of the world. 

Don’t blame God. Know that he won’t push you over, but he will allow you to fall. God uses our pain to bring others to Him. 

The desert is a growling place. Living for God is not easy, but it’s worth it. If God is not at the center, all else will be a mess. 

“May God send us on the path that is not the easiest so that we may see His face."