I know as a Christian, I am not supposed to ask these questions. John 16:33 states it clearly:" I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
So, in faith--having TRUE faith--we must believe.
I've learned that believing is a choice. A choice we must make daily...whatever the hour, day, or month may bring, it begins with choosing.
Because of my "special motherhood" and my husband's recent fight against cancer, I have to choose. So many people have said to me "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and "God will never give you more than you can handle."
And I think, aren't I strong enough now? How much faith does God have in me??
Some days, the questions haunt me, and doubt tries to seep in.
But I know that I know that God made me a survivor, a warrior. He chose me for all of these things, just as much as I have to make the conscious choice to believe that He is in all of it. Always. Each and every moment of my life.
I was in the pity/doubt mode a few months ago, and I found an interview article with Joyce Meyer in Called magazine. For those of you that may not know who Joyce Meyer is--she is an amazing woman of God and teacher of His word. She has a fiery, no-nonsense spirit that makes you listen when she talks.
She is also no stranger to pain. She spent all of her childhood (into adulthood) being sexually abused by her father. She speaks about it candidly, so that viewers can know how she has overcome.
This is an excerpt from the article...which spun me right out of my pity party:
“I just started working with a new strength training coach, and he told me that when I got to repetition 9 or 10, if I felt the weight I was lifting was going to be too much, I could use my own discretion about when to stop. I told him that if the goal was 10, I would do 10 (if there was any possible way for me to do it). I said, ‘If I quit early, you can be guaranteed that I absolutely could not go on.’ I wasn't bragging; that is just the way I am. I had to make that decision early in life when I was being abused, and no adult was willing to help me. I had to make it again when my first husband walked out on me when I was pregnant, so he could live with another woman. I had to make it again when God called me into ministry, and I was asked to leave my church – resulting in me losing all of my friends. When my strength was gone, I finally realized I needed to rely on God’s strength. [...] Perhaps the reason God didn't rescue me from all these difficulties was for the purpose of building that determination in me – because without it, none of us can do anything great in life. If you have big dreams, then you’ll need determination.”
And all of a sudden a light bulb went off.
This is who He created me to be-this is the life He has given me--just for me. He made my circumstances and struggles to form me into the strong, determined woman He wants me to be....and He has given me big, God-sized dreams in the meantime. He dealt me this hand of cards because He wants me to rely on Him for everything and be confident in who I am.
My prayer this week is that you will find hope in the struggles you are facing. Hope that you will become stronger than you were before, not just because the phrase says you will, but because you truly believe this is the path you were meant to be on. I pray that He will also show you dreams that could only come from Him, and you will choose to believe.
You were chosen for your unique journey--and your faith and determination will grow with each step.
"All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you through it." (1 Cor 10:13, MSG).
~Maria
See the entire Joyce Meyer article at:
http://calledmagazine.com/inspiration/item/330-cover-story-joyce-meyer/330-cover-story-joyce-meyer?start=3
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