MOVING BEYOND THE PAIN - BEGINNING SPIRITUAL GROWTH

               MOVING BEYOND THE PAIN-BEGINNING SPIRITUAL GROWTH 

                                                  FROM PAIN TO PEACE

2 Peter 1:3-8 (New Century Version)

3 Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus called us by his glory and goodness. 4 Through these he gave us the very great and precious promises. With these gifts you can share in being like God, and the world will not ruin you with its evil desires. 5 Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; 6 and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; 7 and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. 8 If all these things are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Does the above passage sound daunting to you? I'll admit it does to me :) Thinking about patience - especially close to the end of day at school where I work. lol. Notice the passage says "do your best" and assurance that God has promises and blessings for us when we attempt to add "faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, service for God, brotherly/sisterly love" to our lives.

Especially when we went through a traumatic event, these things can be hard to work through. Distrust, lack of self control (ie addiction), wanting complete control of everything is the world the individual that has went through trauma KNOWS and IS COMFORTABLE IN.

How to Break Free from Darkness and Grow in Spiritual Light?

There are some things that only God can do, and there are some things that only WE can do. Only God can save a person. Only God can forgive and forget our sins.But having said that, only WE can believe. Only WE can repent. Only WE can follow. God will not do that for us. He has given us a free will with the ability to choose. So success in the Christian life comes down to our willingness.

Once we are willing, we have to believe in his promises and HAVE FAITH. Easier said than done right? It was for me. How do we grow in faith in believing in God's promises? I'm beginning spiritual growth "again" by starting with the basics/essentials: 1)Read the bible daily 2) Unceasing prayer daily 3) Frequent time with Christian believers. These are things that you grow to do more consistently and treasure over time. If we start with the basics, we will grow to want to serve others and will see his promises come true! Possibilities are endless through CHRIST:)

CHALLENGE FOR TODAY:)

1) READ - a devotional, a passage in the Bible that applies to what is going on in your life today. Before reading, ask God to speak to you through His Word. Then listen for the message he will give to you through the passage and apply it.

2) PRAY - for the things that are concerning you that you are going through right now, pray for faith and increased belief in His promises, pray for others that are hurting that you are friends with/acquainted with. Pray to be a VESSEL for God to work through and that he will show you a way to work for Him.

3) LIVE - through communication with Him, live what you learned, what he speaks to you during the day to do for others and what not to do (ie self control) because of selfishness.

We, as children of GOD, are a work in progress - learning everyday.....

FATHER GOD - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PROMISES AND BLESSINGS IF WE WILL JUST HAVE FAITH IN YOU. HELP US TO GROW IN OUR FAITH THROUGH CONSISTENCY AND WILLINGNESS TO BE A VESSEL FOR YOU. SHOW US HOW TO BE YOUR REFLECTION AND TO BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS . IF WE STUMBLE, PLEASE FORGIVE US AND HELP US TO GET BACK ON THE PATH WITH YOU.

The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.