Bring It

"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." -Hebrews 12:10b-11

It's so good to be broken. It's not fun, and it doesn't feel very good at all. But it is good.

I am so frustrated with sin. It just seems that over and over again I find myself struggling with the same kinds of temptations and failing miserably to overcome them. I often wonder if I can ever really be free from these things. It's hard, and it hurts quite a bit sometimes to fight through them. My pride really gets in the way. Actually I think that pride is at the core of most of the sin I find myself struggling with. I think I deserve or have earned the right to have something, so therefore I should have it. And if I don't get it, I throw a fit, which I also find a way to justify since I have to live without whatever I deserved in the first place. It's a dangerous cycle.

I have been experiencing a lot of these frustrations over the past couple of weeks. It stinks that pride and jealousy can be so powerful to hurt friendships and bring so much confusion and miscommunication between people. One thing that I have been learning, though, is that there is a way to truly and fully be free. And that's only through Jesus. It will be painful, and will probably take more time than is comfortable. But in the end, He is the only true way to freedom. I try really hard to obtain it on my own strength. All of my efforts only end up in more sin and brokenness. I'm not satisfied with that. I want to be free from sins that hurt and destroy, and have them replaced with a life that is full of lasting peace.

I'm so thankful that the Lord does not allow sin to remain in our lives, but instead loves us enough to break us of the things that separate us from Him and builds us into people who are sanctified and are more like Him. That's definitely a good thing.