If I told you this was killing Me, would you stop?
This morning when I woke up, I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to pray for a few of my friends. One of these individuals I have become friends with at IWU, and I prayed for her to have a safe trip both to and from Florida (IWU's on spring break this week). The other individual is somebody I have never met and have not talked to in probably over a year. But I do know that this person is hurting deep down, suffering far beyond anything I can possibly imagine. And although I have never seen her face, and I have not spoken to her in over a year, God spoke to me and told me to pray for her - and so I did.
I got to thinking, how do we as Christians (in this instance, former Christians) fall away? How is it one day we can proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and that He is the most amazing thing this world has ever seen, and then soon after deny His existance and put our love and faith only in people whom we know will someday leave us hurting? God is there when everything is wonderful, and He is there when everything is wrong. Dr. Wilbur Williams, my professor for Old Testament last semester, emphasized that without struggles, we could not truly know and grow in God. It's easy to get angry and blame everything that hurts you on Him, but turning to and trusting Him will bring us greater peace than we can comprehend.
I've learned over the past couple years to get in the habit of thanking Him for the good things in my life both when I get them and when I have had them for a while. But I've also learned to thank Him when I am feeling empty and miserable...and I believe I am a stronger person spiritually because of that. Lately, I've been learning not to ask God questions about why He wants me to do this or say that. I've had several of my unsaved and former-Christian friends on my mind lately. There's a couple whom I've never met but have been thinking a lot about over the past few months.
I wish there was more I could do.
I got to thinking, how do we as Christians (in this instance, former Christians) fall away? How is it one day we can proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and that He is the most amazing thing this world has ever seen, and then soon after deny His existance and put our love and faith only in people whom we know will someday leave us hurting? God is there when everything is wonderful, and He is there when everything is wrong. Dr. Wilbur Williams, my professor for Old Testament last semester, emphasized that without struggles, we could not truly know and grow in God. It's easy to get angry and blame everything that hurts you on Him, but turning to and trusting Him will bring us greater peace than we can comprehend.
I've learned over the past couple years to get in the habit of thanking Him for the good things in my life both when I get them and when I have had them for a while. But I've also learned to thank Him when I am feeling empty and miserable...and I believe I am a stronger person spiritually because of that. Lately, I've been learning not to ask God questions about why He wants me to do this or say that. I've had several of my unsaved and former-Christian friends on my mind lately. There's a couple whom I've never met but have been thinking a lot about over the past few months.
I wish there was more I could do.