PC3 Devotions Learning Subtraction Posted: 21 Nov 2013 09:00 PM PST Romans 5:1-5 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Insight Life can be rough as a second grader, especially when you are trying to learn subtraction. After breezing through the alphabet, handwriting and reading, my oldest daughter faced adversity a few years back for the first time in her young educational career. She went from looking forward to homework to dreading the time when we took out her folder and got down to business. Knowing her numbers wasn’t the issue. Adding them together was a breeze as well. The disconnect came when someone had the audacity to take away 3 apples from her bushel of 5. She couldn’t wrap her mind around subtraction. Her brain, which often goes a million miles a minute, screeched to a halt. It was only a matter of time before frustration would get the better of her as she stared at the sheet of math problems. Dropping her pencil and head, she felt completely defeated. In her eyes, all hope was lost. Sensing the desperation, my wife went into Super Mom mode and swarmed in with a handful of M&M’s. They went through each problem by taking away and adding back some of those delicious chocolate treats. By being able to see the problem, our daughter suddenly began to understand her homework and tackle this new subject. Confidence replaced the uncertainty. You’ll have moments similar to my daughter where you’ll feel lost, frustrated and confused. Trying to grasp new behaviors and the heart change required of them will feel eerily similar to learning a foreign language or attempting to grasp math for the first time. Things just won’t compute. Finding yourself in a rut, you’ll be on the verge of buying into the lie of mediocrity where you can justify your frustration by saying ‘That’s just the way I am.’ This is the equivalent of saying that I give up! I have resigned myself to be like this for the rest of my life. “Just the way I am” rationalizations cause pain, embarrassment and resentment. In the midst of the struggle, you have to get to the point where you are confronted with the question of “What is going to change? Can something different ever become normal?” With discouragement, setbacks and temptations trying to sabotage your plan for change; endurance and intention are necessary on your part. Since it is not a matter of “if” but “when” you will face the temptation to quit, it is critical to come up with a game plan on how to prepare for those situations where struggle most often occurs. Rather than endure, we often come up with excuses as to why growth is just too hard. As long as we have a reason why we don’t change, we have an excuse to remain stagnant. Write down in your journal every excuse you’ve used to justify giving into the struggle. Today spend some time in prayer being honest with God about those excuses and asking him to change your heart. Process is never easy so we must stay focused and struggle in the right direction. When you focus on something long enough, things are bound to change and this change becomes normal. Reflection What excuses do you find yourself saying in regards to places where you are currently in a rut? Where do you need to exhibit endurance? Prayer God, don’t allow me to be weighed down by my excuses. May I shed my many reasons to remain stagnant and be satisfied with status quo. Help me to trust the process and give me the endurance to takes those steps towards growth and deeper intimacy with You. Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 10:57:50 +0000
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