Got Hardness? Its Gonna Get Better
I grew up in Washington, DC, and started walking to school as a child in the 1960’s. When I visit DC now, I am always amazed at how far I walked to school. The teachers always told us we had it easy compared to previous generations, so I never gave it much thought.
It was a world of concrete playgrounds, bullies, four channels on a black-and-white TV, and no air conditioning. I don’t care what those teachers said. Sometimes it was hard.
I am a Baby Boomer. In many instances we eliminated hardness from our children’s lives but in retrospect, it was overcoming hardness that enabled us to thrive.
I am learning -kind of late in the game- that sometimes you have to allow life to be hard for those you love. The Lord is often at work in these processes. (Philippians 1:6)
I read in the Bible that God did not drive out all of Israel’s enemies in the Promised Land because he wanted the generation that had not known war to gain battlefield experience. (Judges 3:1-2) Let that sink in for a moment.
Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman put war in perspective: “Even success, [in combat] the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies.”
God is love, but God prepares, enables, equips, qualifies, and propels His people forward through hardness.
GOT HARDNESS?? Be encouraged. Hardness does not last:
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all. (Psalms 34:19)
Why are you in despair, my soul? And why are you restless within me? Wait for God, for I will again praise Him For the help of His presence, my God. (Psalms 42:11)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)
God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
Good morning, Still I haven’t have this luxurious life that you have, my brethren…I walk to school to with slippers that has wholes in it. But it is nice knowing your story, that brings memories into my part. I thrive hard to be here in United States of America. If I can make my autobiography, you may be amazed from it… I have goals in life, that I accomplished it, and continue to do it according to our God’s guidance and provision to me and to us all… I am very please, for our church “BETHEL TEMPLE CHURCH” although I don’t have the education like you guys are, but I am thankful and grateful that I have you all to be my “Teachers” that speak the ‘Word’ of words from Him, our Lord and Savior. I’ve learned so much and being watchful every actions and words that I heard and learned from it…Thank you, from this column you made, brethren…I can speak my heart towards you…Take care and God bless…