Have you ever experienced life's challenges and wondered WHY, Lord? Why did I go through that divorce? Why was my marriage struggling? Why did I have this illness? These are questions I have asked myself and truth be told, I sometimes still ask myself. Not asking the Lord out of anger, but truly trying to understand and get to the bottom of WHY ME? Originally when asking, I don't think I even waited long enough for the Lord to answer. But what I know today is everything that we go through has purpose.
I had a conversation yesterday with my colleague and learned of his recent diagnosis of stage 3 skin cancer. He told me normally skin cancer is extremely curable, but his case is very aggressive and has already moved to his lymph nodes, nostril, and neck. In our continued conversation, he said to me that although this has been challenging for, he and his wife to hear, this is just another part of his story. I immediately teared up, partly because I wasn't expecting his response to something so devastating. But he went on to say, this is not to break him, but to teach him something.
Think about that...this is not to break him, but to teach him something. I so appreciated his position on his illness but let me expand your mind for a moment and say, it doesn't have to be a sickness. That divorce, that relationship, that job loss, or anything that God ALLOWS to come, is for your good. Whatever THAT is, which has caused a temporary distraction, a temporary derailment, God has allowed to come into your life for your good and His Glory; Romans 8:28! Now, we have the opportunity to make a choice of what we do with those things. We can either feed into those situations, OR we can submit THAT unto the Lord.
Feeding into the derailment/distraction could lead to satan wreaking havoc on your mind; for he comes to steal, kill, and destroy; John 10:10. But God says, "Come unto me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest; Matthew 11:28. Resting in God, in the midst of life allows development, shaping, molding, transformation, and draws you closer to Christ. This is His desire, to have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with YOU! We, as people tend to respond more to pain than being on the mountaintop; therefore, God allowing challenges to come your way.
This changes my mind about the whole derailment/distraction that I may experience. Doesn't it with you? I mean think about it, God who created the universe, knows the beginning to the end, wants an intimate relationship with me? YES!! So now, I consider it more of a privilege that He sees fit to choose me to go through ANYTHING to bring me closer to Him! It is during these times, I delve into God's word and encourage myself. Speaking scripture over my life reminds me that I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus; Romans 8:37. He calls me the head and not the tail; Deuteronomy 28:13. He gives me victory; 1 Corinthians 15:57!
So, there is purpose? I am glad you asked. Why yes! There is purpose for the pain, there is purpose for the disappointment, there is purpose for the derailment, for the distraction. My first reaction in life was to become angry, to get frustrated, all in my feelings and why not, I am always trying to figure things out instead of allowing God to be God. Not wanting to understand there could be something to this experience. But as I continue to grow in Christ, I now go to the Lord and ask what do You want me to learn in this? What do You want to say to me? Every time I've asked those questions, He gently reminds me He chose me to go through this, JUST for intimacy with Him. What a privilege!
