Storms. Lord no please. Haha. My self would say that. "No Lord. Take me through the quiet waters. Take me to the mountains, even the hills. Anything Lord, just not the storms. Please =)"
I still hear myself say that sometimes even though I know better what the purpose of storms are somehow.
1. I think storms clarify our vision.
When pushed comes to shove, we remember what's more important. We don't try to dangle on the volume of the activity but we press toward what matters more. At recession times, we cut back a little. Present limitations remind us not to go after everything but the one thing - direction, plan, strategies - that will work.
Life's storms have a way of pruning out what's not important. It zooms our vision to the eternal.
During my last church service, I was having trouble staying in church. Tired. Worn out. Ministry did not satisfy me. The people will not either. I was worn out that day. But when I sat there, I was reminded again why I'm in Church in the first place. It was just between me and God. Ministry, people, it's nothing compared to being in the presence of my God. I sat there, pained yes, but I had one of the best worship times I've had. Just because I remembered again WHO in Church matters the most to me.
2. There are storms that clarify our motives.
Sometimes storms clarify to us our deepest motivations in life. A heartbreak will clarify to us what our motive was in the relationship in the first place, why it did not work out. Was it to serve ourselves and not to give or love?
Storms tell us why we're doing something in the first place. When our efforts go unrecognized or we lack recognition, these storms clarify to us what our motive is for doing what we do. When work does not satisfy us and we move from one work to another, the question is what was the motive for working in the first place? Why do you work?
I learned now that my motive to work is to glorify God not for my own glory. Through the storms that I went through, it clarified to me that it is not work that will satisfy me. I don't need the perfect work or the perfect salary if I do not know why I even work in the first place. But when we see that our work is a blessing, it is meant to be used to glorify God, work takes on meaning and the imperfections of day-to-day work become unrecognizable compared to what it was just supposed to accomplish in the first place.
Sometimes storms have a way of doing that. It clarifies motives.
3. Storms give direction.
Remember Jonah? God stopped Jonah with a storm. "His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet." (Nahum 1:3)
Jonah wasn't supposed to go to Tarshish. He was supposed to go to Nineveh. God had to use the storm to bring him back to where He was supposed to be going!
Sometimes when things don't go as planned, or when things don't work out for you, maybe God has a different way for you, a better way.
Perhaps the Lord is showing a different path, but it will lead to His best and His purpose for your life. Storms have a way of stopping us on our tracks and lead us to a different route and a different way.
4. Storms refine our character.
I want to say "bloody" something in British. Character pruning is sometimes that, a bit bloody, painful. But the Lord deems it necessary to bring us to Christlikeness.
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3)
It trains us to persevere. It trains us to keep going in spite of obstacles to reach our destination.
How I realize this but have not acquired yet the God-given joy - the unlikely, unhuman response that Jesus and other people of the faith have exemplified - amidst trials and pain.
Frankly, I haven't yet. Whether it's because of my melancholy personality or what, my response to storms is not always perfect. Alright that is an understatement. It is never perfect I think.
Still have a long way to go in this area.
5. Storms zero in on what will last.
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' The words 'once more' indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:26-27)
The Lord needs to shake sometimes worldly cares from us so we can zero in on our heavenly vision and destination. When we go through trials and sufferings, the rewards of heaven are more attractive.
This also is applicable in relationships. When friendships undergo testing and storms, it removes the facade that is not needed in friendships but it emphasizes strength, enduring acceptance, truth (at all times), and love which are more important pillars of friendship.
When friendships and marriages are refined by the storm, the relationships come out stronger because the "wrapping packages" are truly not what makes a relationship work. It's the endurance and strength to accept and love in spite of difficulties. When friendships and marriages come out and still be intact, you know they have passed through another level of deeper commitment and acceptance.
Time is a factor yes to relationships but friendships don't come out stronger and deeper by time alone. Sometimes we still need the trials that test our commitment to one another. Sometimes we need to learn and re-learn acceptance and forgiveness to make relationships work.
I have good friends in Church. It was not the time that made it good. It was actual serving while in battle that made it better. It brought us all closer to God. It refined us to accept the weaknesses and failings of each other as we all trust God to change us one day at a time. We do not let go of one another. It is not always easy but with Jesus as Lord who never left us, it was much bearable.
I love my friends in Church not because they are perfect. The storms of life was what brought us closer together. Somehow I learned to love them without any reason but just because they were people God gave me to treasure and take care of. We still are at each other's throats sometimes but because we got the unnecessary stuff out of the way, but kept the good stuff - acceptance, love of God, love of Church, spiritual family, forgiveness - I still feel love for them at the end of the day.
That's weird. :-)
I still hear myself say that sometimes even though I know better what the purpose of storms are somehow.
1. I think storms clarify our vision.
When pushed comes to shove, we remember what's more important. We don't try to dangle on the volume of the activity but we press toward what matters more. At recession times, we cut back a little. Present limitations remind us not to go after everything but the one thing - direction, plan, strategies - that will work.
Life's storms have a way of pruning out what's not important. It zooms our vision to the eternal.
During my last church service, I was having trouble staying in church. Tired. Worn out. Ministry did not satisfy me. The people will not either. I was worn out that day. But when I sat there, I was reminded again why I'm in Church in the first place. It was just between me and God. Ministry, people, it's nothing compared to being in the presence of my God. I sat there, pained yes, but I had one of the best worship times I've had. Just because I remembered again WHO in Church matters the most to me.
2. There are storms that clarify our motives.
Sometimes storms clarify to us our deepest motivations in life. A heartbreak will clarify to us what our motive was in the relationship in the first place, why it did not work out. Was it to serve ourselves and not to give or love?
Storms tell us why we're doing something in the first place. When our efforts go unrecognized or we lack recognition, these storms clarify to us what our motive is for doing what we do. When work does not satisfy us and we move from one work to another, the question is what was the motive for working in the first place? Why do you work?
I learned now that my motive to work is to glorify God not for my own glory. Through the storms that I went through, it clarified to me that it is not work that will satisfy me. I don't need the perfect work or the perfect salary if I do not know why I even work in the first place. But when we see that our work is a blessing, it is meant to be used to glorify God, work takes on meaning and the imperfections of day-to-day work become unrecognizable compared to what it was just supposed to accomplish in the first place.
Sometimes storms have a way of doing that. It clarifies motives.
3. Storms give direction.
Remember Jonah? God stopped Jonah with a storm. "His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet." (Nahum 1:3)
Jonah wasn't supposed to go to Tarshish. He was supposed to go to Nineveh. God had to use the storm to bring him back to where He was supposed to be going!
Sometimes when things don't go as planned, or when things don't work out for you, maybe God has a different way for you, a better way.
Perhaps the Lord is showing a different path, but it will lead to His best and His purpose for your life. Storms have a way of stopping us on our tracks and lead us to a different route and a different way.
4. Storms refine our character.
I want to say "bloody" something in British. Character pruning is sometimes that, a bit bloody, painful. But the Lord deems it necessary to bring us to Christlikeness.
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3)
It trains us to persevere. It trains us to keep going in spite of obstacles to reach our destination.
How I realize this but have not acquired yet the God-given joy - the unlikely, unhuman response that Jesus and other people of the faith have exemplified - amidst trials and pain.
Frankly, I haven't yet. Whether it's because of my melancholy personality or what, my response to storms is not always perfect. Alright that is an understatement. It is never perfect I think.
Still have a long way to go in this area.
5. Storms zero in on what will last.
"At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' The words 'once more' indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 12:26-27)
The Lord needs to shake sometimes worldly cares from us so we can zero in on our heavenly vision and destination. When we go through trials and sufferings, the rewards of heaven are more attractive.
This also is applicable in relationships. When friendships undergo testing and storms, it removes the facade that is not needed in friendships but it emphasizes strength, enduring acceptance, truth (at all times), and love which are more important pillars of friendship.
When friendships and marriages are refined by the storm, the relationships come out stronger because the "wrapping packages" are truly not what makes a relationship work. It's the endurance and strength to accept and love in spite of difficulties. When friendships and marriages come out and still be intact, you know they have passed through another level of deeper commitment and acceptance.
Time is a factor yes to relationships but friendships don't come out stronger and deeper by time alone. Sometimes we still need the trials that test our commitment to one another. Sometimes we need to learn and re-learn acceptance and forgiveness to make relationships work.
I have good friends in Church. It was not the time that made it good. It was actual serving while in battle that made it better. It brought us all closer to God. It refined us to accept the weaknesses and failings of each other as we all trust God to change us one day at a time. We do not let go of one another. It is not always easy but with Jesus as Lord who never left us, it was much bearable.
I love my friends in Church not because they are perfect. The storms of life was what brought us closer together. Somehow I learned to love them without any reason but just because they were people God gave me to treasure and take care of. We still are at each other's throats sometimes but because we got the unnecessary stuff out of the way, but kept the good stuff - acceptance, love of God, love of Church, spiritual family, forgiveness - I still feel love for them at the end of the day.
That's weird. :-)
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