Christian Growing Pains

[Guest clancy]

7 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

You're a precious sister, @clancy. You understand the fruit of the Lord's chastening because you've endured His chastening yourself. Let each one of us of count the cost, because the sharing of the testimony is a sacred thing and precious in the sight of God. Why have I shared the testimony?

It pleases the Lord that I testify. There's no shame in the marvelous works of the living God. When the unbeliever judges the testimony, I pay them no heed because I've endured much worse than their paltry unbelief and scorn in this world. When the unbeliever passes judgment, they heap hot coals upon their own head because they aren't judging me but rather, they're passing judgment upon the Lord who restored everything I lost during the trial. 

Why should I be afraid of them? I faced the threats and guns of Satan's children so I'm not afraid of the unbeliever who judges me in their insolence.      

In Jesus Name....Amen!!

[Marathoner]

I perused your link, @FieryFury. 

There's no need to repeat the testimony I've shared elsewhere on this forum so I'll keep this simple and to the point: the Lord broke me utterly and completely. I endured deprivation, homelessness, agony, and one disaster after the other in this world until I arrived at the conclusion of the trial, the end of a very long road. I faced the grave.  

I was a dead man in more ways than one. This body was ravaged with disease and I was close to death. There was nothing left to lose except for the life in these veins and so when the Lord came to me in the shadow of death, I pleaded with Him to put my suffering to an end. I was such an evil and terrible man! Surely everything I had suffered was simply my due, recompense for failing Jesus Christ who had called me out of this world before the fiery trial began.

Who could've known and who could've seen it? The Lord was waiting for me at the end of the road and instead of granting my petition to die, He lifted me up instead, promising that I will never see death. Christ restored everything that was taken from me in a measure exceeding what I possessed before. 

Read Job, my friend. 

[Guest clancy]

Such a “ powerful “ testimony to our Father In Heaven...you give him all of the Glory! @Marathoner......it fills my heart with so much joy!!......Praise Our Wonderful Father In Heaven.....only He is worthy of so much Praise!?

[debrakay]

@FieryFury Each of us that respond to your post would hopefully have some words of encouragement for you to continue seeking the Lord every single day.  In my walk with the Lord (40 years since I became spirit-filled but a believer for 60) I have found that some days He speaks or shows himself in one way or another and then there are the days He is silent and allows us to seek knowledge and wisdom on our own.  The scripture tells us that we will have trials and temptations on this earth.  It also teaches us that if we are truly born-again with the Spirit of God living in us, that His comfort (peace) will get us through the trials of the day.  You may call them tests but I call them trials.  

I will say that ever since the plague hit the world last year that my own trials have been more severe than in the past.  Mostly because of the newness and uncertainty of it all and where it may all be leading.  During the first few months I thought it was a reset of the spirituality of the people of the world.  Then, as the months kept going by, there was thought of the Lord placing his people into a sanctuary setting so they could each seek and search what the Lord needed to reveal to each heart and mind.  Now that we have been in confined and restricted situations for 14 months, I find myself asking Him, "How much longer?" The only thing I have heard from the Holy Spirit is, "My people walked the desert for 40 years and later, many were again taken into captivity." All I can truly say is that everything has changed with life on earth today but nothing has changed regarding the love of God.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  We have today only.  Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow has not come.  Today is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. 

I can't begin to understand all of your thoughts and emotions as you walk through whatever the Lord has placed before you.  Just as you have no idea all of the tragedies and joys of my 6+ decades of life.  Each one of us has a place in the family of God and each one of us He will teach and use as the years move on.  As long as you continue to seek Him, you will find Him, you will hear Him, you will see Him moving in your life.  He will be able to use you to encourage others in the years to come with the testimony of your salvation through Jesus.  Days on earth can seem very long to the young but to the old, many of us can honestly say we have seen the hand of God move in and through our lives.  Not that any of us ever did it all perfectly but we endured the trials and persevered and are still persevering.  You are loved by the Creator of the Universe and that is something to hold on to when the fires of every day life burn.  You are never alone when you have God in your heart and spirit!

Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

[BK1110]

17 hours ago, FieryFury said:

I’ll be honest. I haven’t memorized any Scripture and I’m not sure I have seen any scripture yet that verifies what I’m experiencing  

Glad to know you have begun devotionals. As someone who truly became a Christian just five years ago, it has been interesting to see the changes God has worked in me. Getting more serious about devotionals has been one of those changes over the last 18 months or so. And Bible memorization has been one over just the last 9 months or so. I would highly recommend you begin that as well, it has been such a blessing of growth for me. I use the Bible Memory website/app and I have found it highly effective.

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." -- Psalm 119:11

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." -- Psalm 119:105

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." -- Joshua 1:8

[OneLight]

May I suggest that you spend more time in His word.  Jesus tells us that He is the bread of life and living water, both food to live by.  Consider that if we don't eat physical food daily, we will not last long, so how can we survive spiritually if we don't eat our spiritual food - His Word?

[Starise]

On 5/13/2021 at 10:53 AM, FieryFury said:

Have any of you experienced Christian growing pains and if so, what has it been like for you?

 

Life is hard, God is good. 

1 Peter 5:10

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
 

[FieryFury]

On 5/14/2021 at 6:58 AM, OneLight said:

May I suggest that you spend more time in His word.  Jesus tells us that He is the bread of life and living water, both food to live by.  Consider that if we don't eat physical food daily, we will not last long, so how can we survive spiritually if we don't eat our spiritual food - His Word?

I do my best to do devotions but it’s extremely difficult. I’ve been dealing with a lot of internal strife and can often feel the Holy Spirit working. When I read though, not only is it difficult to read, I often feel I don’t get much from it. 

[FieryFury]

On 5/14/2021 at 6:29 AM, BK1110 said:

Glad to know you have begun devotionals. As someone who truly became a Christian just five years ago, it has been interesting to see the changes God has worked in me. Getting more serious about devotionals has been one of those changes over the last 18 months or so. And Bible memorization has been one over just the last 9 months or so. I would highly recommend you begin that as well, it has been such a blessing of growth for me. I use the Bible Memory website/app and I have found it highly effective.

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." -- Psalm 119:11

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." -- Psalm 119:105

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." -- Joshua 1:8

I’ve been trying to do devotionals more often but I still find it difficult and I’m still going thru this spiritual test or growing pains or God’s just refining me. 
 

Did you ever feel like you just can’t stay faithful though? How do you fight against the fleshly desires or how do you continue on the right path when your mind/body wants to do things your way and not God’s way?

[BK1110]

3 hours ago, FieryFury said:

I’ve been trying to do devotionals more often but I still find it difficult and I’m still going thru this spiritual test or growing pains or God’s just refining me. 
 

Did you ever feel like you just can’t stay faithful though? How do you fight against the fleshly desires or how do you continue on the right path when your mind/body wants to do things your way and not God’s way?

All the time. Even the best Christian has to fight it every single day. Look at Paul:

"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." -- Romans 7:14-20

Hate sin. Fight sin. But when you fail, do not beat yourself up overly. I say overly because contrition and repentance are critical. But we can take them too far and allow them to make us doubt our faith and our salvation, which steals the joy of God's grace away from us.

I would recommend you focus on Romans for a time. Really seek out good devotionals and commentary on it. And Paul's letters to the various churches as well. The Desiring God channel on Youtube has a lot of great devotionals (the Look at the Book series) and has a ton of them on Philippians and Ephesians especially.