Sometimes being a Christian...or even trying to be that fabled "Good Man"... is HARD. 😂
Some days I feel like I'm making progress. Other days I accidentally make eye contact with somebody acting crazy in Walmart and suddenly my sanctification is being stress-tested. 😭 Lord, I'm trying!
People love to say, "Everything happens for a reason," or "It's all part of God's plan." That's easy to say when you're getting promotions, eating good, and your bank account isn't playing hide-and-seek. It sounds a little different when life is throwing left hooks and uppercuts like you're fighting Mike Tyson. 🥊😂
But the Bible never says everything that happens is good. It says God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) That's a BIG difference.
One thing life has taught me is this: I don't have much faith in people's ability to truly change. They'll download the motivational app, buy the devotional, change their profile picture to a Bible verse, announce they're "walking in purpose"...and by Thursday they're back to the same factory settings. 😂
Real change usually costs something.
For me, that cost was my mother's passing.
Losing her flipped my entire world upside down. It forced me to ask the man in the mirror some uncomfortable questions. That pain became the catalyst that pushed me toward Christ and challenged me to become a better man.
Would I have signed up for that lesson? Absolutely not. I would've gladly failed that class. 😒
But God has a way of taking what the enemy meant for destruction and using it for transformation. Sometimes He'll use blessings. Sometimes He'll use closed doors. Sometimes He'll even use heartbreak to get your attention because apparently we're all a little hard-headed. 😂
I'm still a work in progress. God is still sanding off rough edges...and occasionally using extra-grit sandpaper. 😩🤣
The older I get, the more I realize this:
God can use success. God can use failure. God can use disappointment. And yes...God can even use death to bring you closer to Him.
Sometimes the greatest miracle isn't that God changed your circumstances...
It's that He changed YOU. ❤️
Losing a loved one, especially a parent like a mother, often serves as a profound turning point in anyone’s spiritual journey. Many of us might relate to the experience of facing such heartbreak and realizing that it forces deep introspection. It is through this pain that many begin to truly seek God’s guidance and mercy, discovering that change is not merely about external habits but about inner transformation. From personal experience, the process of sanctification—becoming more like Christ—is not linear or easy. It is filled with setbacks, moments of frustration, and tests of patience. Sometimes, even the smallest triggers, like an unexpected eye contact with someone upset in public, can challenge our peace and provoke questions about our growth. Yet, these trials present daily opportunities to lean into faith rather than react impulsively. The truth shared in Romans 8:28—that God works all things for the good of those who love Him—resonates deeply when we consider how God’s plan includes both blessings and hardships. This means that struggles are integral to spiritual maturity just as much as successes. Real transformation requires sacrifice, often costing us comfort, old habits, or even our previous identity. In my journey, I’ve learned that true change is rarely as instant or visible as we’d like. It rarely comes from motivation alone but from surrender and allowing difficult experiences to mold us. It’s essential to embrace that God can use every life event—success, failure, disappointment, and even death—to bring us closer to Him. Rather than hoping life stays painless, I’ve found peace in expecting growth through challenges. Each “rough edge” God sands off makes me more resilient and compassionate. The greatest miracle isn’t always life circumstances changing; it’s the heart’s transformation that lets us live with hope and purpose despite them. For anyone facing loss or hardship, remember this: You are not alone in your struggle or your faith journey. These moments often reveal the depths of God’s love and power in your life. Hold onto that faith, even when it’s hard, because every step forward is significant in becoming the person God is shaping you to be.
