Painful and Rewarding Growth!

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As I was praying for peace, after receiving closure over something... God dropped this very word into my spirit: "if you aren't being criticized for being a Christian, if false accusations aren't being made against you, if you aren't misunderstood, if you don't have someone jealous or upset with you, if your inner circle isn't getting smaller, if you aren't experiencing hurt, if you aren't being labeled, if you aren't being talked about, mistreated, lied on, and things being revealed, then you aren't doing something right in your walk and relationship with me".

I thought for a minute, well Lord what are you talking about, although the past few years has very well dropped all that in my plate and more? The point He was making is with spiritual growth, with each step of progress you make... the enemy will continue to be nipping at your heels with whatever he can use and whomever he can use to try to distract, hinder, blindside, manipulate, and destroy you. We cannot control how others act, nor what they say, or how they treat us... but we can control how we act, what we say, and how we treat others ... we have to put our focus completely on God and keep moving forward and staying ready for His return, knowing He will speak for us and fight our battles... growing in the Lord can be painful at times but I have to remember what Paul said in Romans 5:3-5...

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials (suffering), for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

Jesus went through everything I mentioned and more and He was victorious in the end just as we (I), as a saved Christian, will be.

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