Things are very rarely all bad or all good. Life just does not work that way. There are extreme instances where all bad might seem pretty plausible, but for the most part, a “lot” of bad is not “all” bad.
In the midst of the things of life, we will be both blessed with good things (and I pray you have eyes to see those good things) and we will be blessed with bad things. Hmm…did I just write “blessed with bad things”? I sure did.
I have learned over many, many years that Abba is using everything, both good and bad, to shape us more and more into the image of His Messiah…Yeshua/Jesus. The reality is that there is not a whole lot of shaping going on during the “good” things…or at least not as much in my own life. That is why we need to experience some of the bad things in life…or negative things or hard things, if you prefer those terms.
It is in the hard things that we find out what we are really made of…who we really are. There are many times in life when we cannot choose our circumstances. We cannot choose how others will treat us and what life in general throws at us. But we can choose how to respond.
It is in our responses that we can choose to grow or stagnate, to act maturely or childishly, to love or to hate, to hold a grudge or to let it go. We can stomp our spiritual feet and whine and complain and demand our way or we can submit and trust that our heavenly Abba is allowing everything for a reason and that His promise to turn ALL things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose is a real one that He takes seriously.
He is doing a kingdom work in us and in this world. Are we on board with that? Are we willing to allow Him to use us for His kingdom purposes? Are willing to allow Him to place into situations, or with people, that make us uncomfortable? Or will we succumb to our fleshly natures and always strive for the easier, more comfortable way?
I have certainly done my share of both in life. How about you?
Reflections from Beit-Shalom 