No Pain, No Gain

"Those things which are easily gained, are easily given up or thrown aside. But, those things which we gain through much pain, trial, hardship and at much expense, become over time the things we value most in life and we will fight to the death to keep them."

Have you ever heard the saying "No Pain, No Gain"? I have heard it often, but usually in association with a workout. I never really associated it with the Christian life. Why would I associate it with the Christian life? Well, many times we as Christians (especially American Christians) think that we should never have to go through any pain or suffering. But, I beg to differ.

God allows us to go through hard times, not always because of sin in our lives, but because He wants us to always lean on Him. I know that right now God is teaching me patience and to take others into consideration (instead of always thinking about how I feel) and teaching me Phillipians 4:11 as well as 1 Timothy 6:6-7.

I always have a hard time with pain because I always associate it with me being sinful, but God reveals in the whole book of Job that God allows certain things to happen to guide us straight to Him. More often than not we tend to think that we can do something on our own without God (sometimes this mentality happens upon us without realizing it) and that's when we start to fall, but there are many times we are right there in the will of God and troubles come our way and we look to God and ask "why" and He says "Because I AM, do you trust me?" and sometimes we say yes and other times we say no.

 Let me encourage you to memorize Proverbs 3:5-6 because this scripture has been my constant companion over the past couple of weeks, and it has helped me to say "yes" when I felt like saying "no". God is God and we don't need to question Him, the only motives we need to question are our own and I know many times I find that I say my motivation is God, but my actions say otherwise.

God does care about you and He tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30), so although we go through trial and tribulation and sometimes even persecution we know that God gives us the strength to make it easier and lighter along the way. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I encourage you to stay in the scripture, pray always, and Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul and mind.

Prayers Needed

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Matt. 18:20

 I just wanted to ask everyone to pray for me, I have not been eating or sleeping well and I could really use some prayers in those areas. I can also ask that you just pray specifically that I trust in the LORD (Prov.3:5-6) and that I do everything in His strength and not my own (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Thank you so much to all my faithful readers and prayer warriors out there! God Bless!

Love,

Elisha <3 (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

Taking Thoughts Captive

My sister Noel and I were talking today about "not thinking about things" and how hard it is not to think about something that you are thinking about (ok, did that make any sense at all?). When we, as Christians try not to think a bad thought, or think on something that we really shouldn't be dwelling on, we tend to find ourselves dwelling on it even more. Why? I think it's because "we" are the one "trying" to get rid of the thought.

The Bible says in 2 Cor. 10:3-5 " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," you see, we aren't the ones who are suppose to try to get rid of those thoughts. We are suppose to take them captive and give them to Christ.

I have noticed that when I try something in my own strength it never works, and believe me I am not a wimpy girl and it takes a lot for me to ask for help. I will do as much as possible before I go for help...so this is something that is very hard for me to do. God shows us through 2 Cor. 12:9-10 that only through weakness can we recieve His strength and how I have seen it, I can only realize after I have worn myself down to the weakest person that I could be before I hand it over to Christ saying humbly "take it LORD".

So now instead of trying to "not think about something" I am going to take it captive and give it to Christ...He is the only one who can get it out of my mind...and I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Some Lessons I Have Learned This Past Week

It's so very awesome to see God at work in your own life, many times as a person we aren't able to step out and see the "Big Picture" of what God is doing in our lives. A few weeks ago I was so content as a person in everything that was going on, I was happily building up my business (albeit slowly), loving life, enjoying my family and just being near them and getting to know each and every one a little better, happy to be single for however long God wanted me to be, etc. I was just content. Then it seemed God threw a little bump in the road and upset my whole apple cart... now I'm not saying that I am not happy with any of the above stated facts. But, everything just seemed to happen all at once and all the sudden I don't feel so confident in my contentment anymore. In fact I feel down right vulnerable right now and I hate that feeling, because I love being in control and feeling strong.

 One evening this past week, while I was really feeling that vulnerability and I was at my weakest I decided to go outside and just walk in my gardens and be with God (not that He's in my gardens, but I always feel so much closer to God when I am outside, plus He is wherever I am). I was crying out to God for some answers (and I mean literally crying) and as I sat down at the edge of my herb garden Proverbs 3:5-6 came to mind the words flowed through my head as the tears flowed freely down my cheeks "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding; But in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.". There are times in our lives when we know in our heads what we need to do, but it's getting our hearts to freely follow Christ's bidding that is so hard (Jeremiah 17:9).
  God gave me a rare opportunity to step outside of myself (not literally), to step back and see a big picture of sorts and just see some of the things He had prepared me for, to see some of  what He had been doing in my life over the past few years. I was so shocked at what I saw. I mean in reality I shouldn't be shocked to see what God has done, but for me it is a lot easier to see God work in others rather than to see what He is doing in my own life (1 Cor. 2:6-12).
 God is so good to this child who's faith often wavers and sometimes seems to come crashing down, but Jesus is always there to pick me back up, show me where I was wrong and guide me back onto the straight and narrow. I know my heavenly Father loves me and is watching over me, and right now while my thoughts are swirling around certain things in my life that I am not sure where they are headed, I know that my loving, heavenly Father will always take care of me and that He has a plan for my life and I don't need to worry (Jeremiah 29:11).

Here are some things that God has taught me this week... He has taught me to daily lean on Him (and that's hard to do for someone who likes to be able to stand on her own two feet with no one's help), He shows me that my strength is not my strength, instead my weakness (or my vulnerability) is what God uses to make me strong through Him (2 Cor. 12:9-10), that no Glory belongs to myself, but to Him and Him alone...don't look back at the past victories that God has given me lest I think they are "my" victories(1Cor. 1:26-31) and last but not least God has taught me that He (not I) brought me out of nothing to something, He made me His child and I need not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:33-34).

What has God been teaching you lately?