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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 12/22/2006 2:01 PM (GMT -6) |   | Why do we experience such pain in following God?
Because, very very often, we have scared, hurting, crazy little children in us (ie unhelpful "scripts" and faulty beliefs that we live by) that are acting out while facing the PAIN of spiritual and emotional growth.
Truth only hurts those who are living by lies.
And there are a LOT of lies that we have been living by for a long time.
Yes.
That's why the Scripture is REAL:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. "
Only a few REALLY want to go through Valley of the Shadow of Death to get to the Promised Land.
Only a few REALLY want to experience the utterly desolate times of the Dark Night of the Soul and the Dark Night of the Spirit.
And it's understandable why only a few want this.
It's EXTREMELY PAINFUL to face our fears!
It's EXTREMELY PAINFUL to let go of our ego defenses and manipulative tactics of getting life.
It's HARD.
And God knows that we are all trying the best that we can.
Even though other people may not THINK we are...and wish to JUDGE US on their faulty criteria...we really are.
He really DOES know that.
You can try the best you can...and still be in PAIN.
Because Jesus was trying the best HE could...
And he still cried out an ABSURDITY on the Cross.
That God the Father, a being of PERFECT LOVE, would EVER forsake ANY of His children.
Let alone the Only Begotten.
Utterly CRAZY expression of emotion.
But alas...a great amout of PAIN can do that to a person.
Pain can sometimes overwhelm a person's spirit UNTO DEATH...in DESPAIR.
Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
(Christ experienced despair...but he was the ONLY PERSON who experience his despair in being EXACTLY who he was divinely intended to be [Isaiah 53])
He made the CHOICE to follow his eschatological essence...
...for the JOY SET BEFORE HIM...
He endured the PAIN of the Cross.
Will we endure the PAIN of following God's call on our lives?
Will we look BEYOND the cross of self-denial so that we may experience the resurrection power of God?
Not many want to go through the pain to see the glory.
It's unfortunate but real.
Nevertheless, God is COMMITTED to seeing us in his Likeness.
God wants us to be FREE, RESPONSIBLE, LOVING, SOCIAL, BEAUTIFUL beings!
Beings who are NOT blown around by every wind of doctrine, emotion, or desire.
Let about by the nose of their infantile, truncated desires.
People that can live on MEAT and not MILK of the Kingdom.
And he will take us through any amount of CONSTRUCTIVE PAIN to get us into our "eschatological essence"
God does indeed work IN ALL THINGS for the good of those who love him.
But like immature, hurt, crazy children...we don't see those things.
"God doesn't do ANYTHING for us!" we cry. "We don't see any good in this PAIN? God doesn't really care about us."
While we breath HIS air...walk on HIS earth...get energy from HIS sun.
While every good thing we EXPERIENCE only exists because God exists.
We are such children!
I pray for us...
Lord, continue to grow us all into YOUR maturity.
We submit ourselves to your process.
Refine us in YOUR purging fire...so that we will not fall victim to IDOLATROUS ATTACHMENTS BASED ON LIES!
We will endure the pain for YOUR glory!
And you will glorify US...for it is your glorious Will for this to occur.
We love you, Jesus.
Amen.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Therefore (YOU) go and introduce all peoples into the Way, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and intstructing them in following everything I have commanded you. (Great Commandments!)
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age."
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 12/22/2006 2:26 PM (GMT -6) | | Dark Night of the Soul
www.themystic.org/dark-night/index.htm
This is EXACTLY what I've gone through a series of times...and what my brother-in-law (A.J.) is going through REALLY HEAVY right now. Please be in prayer for him, if you would!
In Christ Alone, baby...
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Therefore (YOU) go and introduce all peoples into the Way, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and intstructing them in following everything I have commanded you. (Great Commandments!)
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age."
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 12/22/2006 4:55 PM (GMT -6) | | MBD:
God can't spare us the pain, but He can comfort us and eventually bring it to an end.
Maybe better to take it in little bits now rather than all at once later.
Yes, Don.
Hell is INTERVENTION TIME...where all of our empowered lies are cast away in the midst of the light of TRUTH.
And there will be MUCH wailing and gnashing of teeth in the LIGHT of this TRUTH.
******************************
Feelin:
Personally, I think we experience so much pain in following God because we believe following God qualifies us to NOT feel pain. That we are somehow excluded from the pain of this world. It makes perfect sense that we should experience more pain in following God in a world that is hostile towards God.
I believe that EVERYONE has life situations that are conducive to having physical and emotional pain.
I also believe that growing into SINGULAR FOCUS on God's will as one's Ultimate Desire helps create a form of detachment that allows a person to FREELY RELATE to God, themselves, and their enviroments.
Pain is inevitable. Misery is a choice!
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Therefore (YOU) go and introduce all peoples into the Way, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and intstructing them in following everything I have commanded you. (Great Commandments!)
And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age."
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 12/22/2006 5:35 PM (GMT -6) | | | | |
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