Though there's pain in the offering.

Even on our worst days, Jesus loves us.


Following His plan for our life doesn't ensure green pastures every day.
It ensures suffering and pain, even if it's something we wouldn't expect to upset us.
But, even though there's pain in the offering...
Our hearts can choose to say "Blessed be the name of the Lord"


Because in reality, only HE can get us through the times he's brought us to.
And God won't bring you to it if he doesn't intend to get you through it.
This is a hard lesson to embrace. This is the hard truth to endure.


You can do everything right in His sight, but you will still find yourself deep in the midst of pain and suffering.
No matter how closely you follow His will, there will be pain.


James 1:2-3 tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of any kind, because we know that the testing of our faith produces perseverance.
When you chose to follow God's plan and gave up what you gave up because you knew it was hindering your walk with him, you chose to allow him to test your faith and produce perseverance. You chose that you want him to grow your faith and purify your joy. It's pure joy because it isn't fickle, like many of the 'happy' feelings we find ourselves with each day, it's pure joy because it is everlasting, and it is a gift only the father can bring us. Without him, we can't consider anything pure joy. Only he can provide us with the peace and strength to follow through with his plan.


You have to continue through with this decision in your life. You chose to give up something in order to follow God's plan, you can't take it back now just because it would be easier. There will be a sadness in your heart, no matter what you give up. James 1:4 says "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." If you go back on your decision now, you will be taking steps backward from your growth in Christ. You have to make your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. You can't have both the item hindering you from God and follow God's will, you knew that when you gave it up...that's why you gave it up. Now you have to live out the steps required to continue on this path. It's easy once the situation is over for our minds to think that we can have it all, because we miss it. But we can't. Our hearts can sing no other name than Jesus Christ. Once our heart begins to slip out other names, we have to be ruthless in tearing them out of our lives. And it isn't easy. (Matthew 6:24 -- No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.)




There is comfort in knowing you are suffering for following His plan. There is comfort in knowing you aren't letting your heart sing any other name. There is comfort when you know you would tear something dear to you away from you ruthlessly, cold-turkey, in order to follow a better plan for your life. Though there's pain in the offering, there is comfort in knowing you are willing to follow the One who created you and loves you.
1 Peter 2:19 -- For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment.
1 Peter 3:14 -- But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.
1 Peter 5:10 -- In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
Matthew 6:19-21 -- Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 


And don't allow yourself to be tricked into thinking you're to only person to suffer for doing what is right. There are many people who suffer for doing wrong, we see that much more often. But, you must remember that even Jesus Christ himself suffered throughout his time on the Earth. He was hated by the very people who were his followers. He was hated because he flipped the world upside down. He taught to forget the rules and forget the hatred and to LOVE and to have mercy and to forgive. We should look only to Him as an example in how to live out our lives. He is the ultimate role model (seems obvious, doesn't it?)
John 15:18-25 -- If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the One who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’
Jesus endured greater pain than we can even fathom. Although our hearts feel broken and mistreated, the pain he went through trumps even our biggest problems. He died on a cross with the weight of the sins of the whole world on his shoulders. He died, hated. He died out of love for those who hated him. He saved us as we put him on the cross. He paid the ultimate price so we could sit here today and hope to have the great faith he possessed. 

Mark 15:33-34 -- At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

In the hard times in our life, we may also look to God and ask why he has forsaken us, but out of our great faith for His plan...we must continue on our journey toward Him regardless. Jesus still died on the cross even though He felt abandoned. He still loved us even though we hated him. What a different world we would live in if we could see through our pain and suffering the way that he did.

Imagine treating others the way Jesus outlines in Matthew 5...

Verses 38-42 -- "You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow."

Jesus tells us that even though someone has hurt us, stabbed us, torn us apart...We should offer them the other cheek. We should forgive. We should live honorably and blamelessly.

Verses 43-48 -- "You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Imagine this becoming a reality. Rather than collecting a million reasons to be bitter, you pray for those who persecute you. You love those who hate you. You strive to be more like your Father than the world. You are not of this world, you have chosen to live a different life. Loving every person you meet is the beginning of a worthwhile life.

It's clearly put in these verses...

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 -- If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

We are called to love regardless of the cost. God will comfort you in the midst of this journey. He will create the willing heart in you, if you only cling to the truth. It's easy to ask all of the people you know will tell you you should do what you really want to do, but your reward lies in heaven if you give up the easy road to endure the path toward Jesus Christ. He provides the courage, strength, perseverance, endurance, forgiveness, love, peace, hope, faith, and blessings. Cling to the only one who can save you.

Matthew 5:3-12 -- 

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We can make it. :)