Nothing is wasted. The difficulty you are going through is not fate or lack of fortune. At some point of the trial difficult that it might be we must ask questions: What will this produce in me? What benefit will this bring? How can I glorify God in this? We might need a friend to help us in this. We may need counselling to bring us through. We will definitely need the Holy Spirit.
“They (our parents) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12 v 10-11)
Parents do their best. But parents can be wrong in trying to do their best. They can easily stray into bringing discipline for their own good and their name. God uses painful trials for our good and so that we enjoy the intimacy with Him.
David referred to himself as a flea on two occasions, a dead dog and a worm.
Moses looked at himself and said he was not up to the task.
Gideon believed he was the weakest.
The list can go on. It seems every Bible hero had to get rid of the worthless things that were clinging to them, that had become the focus of their life and the shaper of it.
We need to stop thinking negatively, either about ourselves or circumstances. We need to think about our purpose in this world and about Him especially when we are in the painful trial of it.
We have a Good Shepherd, Good News and we should be the Good Samaritan. Goodness is the trait of the kingdom of light.
This pain you are experiencing right now could be the doorway into goodness.
If you have given out more than you have received back then you are venturing into the Goodness.
There needs to be loss in your life for Goodness to emerge. The loss of loving someone who doesn’t return that love. The loss of helping those who just take. Loss because there is no hope of getting anything back from your kindness and generosity.
When you question whether it was worth it; when you ask whether you have been taken for a ride; when you see nothing from your acts of kindness it is then when you are bordering on the entrance of Goodness.
Goodness is a life where you look like God, especially in front of your enemies and within the pain. God can see you identify with Him for this is who He is and what He has done and does today. Welcome to His holiness. You have stepped into sharing in His life.
Missions Paul 