DON'T WASTE YOUR SORROWS!

2 Timothy‬ ‭2:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “If we endure hardship, we will reign with him...” 

2 Corinthians‬ ‭7:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “...You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.”
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The Bible promises that someday we will all become the Bride of Christ.   Think about that for a moment.  In the meantime - Jesus is preparing His bride for this exalted position.

Have you ever watched a bride prepare for her wedding?  As the dad of two daughters I will tell you that there is a lot of “mirror time” taking place in order to present herself as the most beautiful bride to her husband.

The details are staggering when it comes to preparing for a wedding (I’m not even considering the financial cost at this point).  Every bride wants that perfect day that will forever live in her heart.  She wants to give attention to every detail and make herself to be the most beautiful woman who is coming to her husband in life.

But I have to be honest - the preparation for a wedding can be grueling and difficult as every person has their idea of what the perfect day looks like.  As a result, much conflict often comes to a couple even before the wedding.

But in the end, it all seems to come together and the bride always looks beautiful as she is coming down the aisle to be joined with her future husband.

All the grueling, difficult decisions are worth it.

It is interesting how God prepares us, His bride for our future with Him.  It is through much difficulty and much suffering in life.

According to Romans 5:3-5 - suffering is what brings on our character in life.  It brings endurance.

Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
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You can’t sidestep this.  You can’t take any shortcuts.  Every person MUST go through difficulty and suffering.  It is God’s way and plan for your life.  There is no Plan B.

When man fell into sin at the garden - it left man with a very self-centered attitude - the very opposite of God’s AGAPE love.  As a result, God has to decentralize us from ourselves and bring us to a dependence upon God.

He does this through suffering and trial.  We are left with a great need to turn to Him fully and trust Him for our dependence in life.

This is what we call PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION.  Little by little God teaches and grows us to become more like Him.

Notice how God does this through this verse:

“Philippians‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” 

If God’s purpose was to just get us to heaven - He would have immediately taken us there after we born.  Remember, His purpose is to make us more like Him and to prepare us for the exalted
position of reigning with Him.

This is impossible to do without trial and and tribulation.

So we then we rejoice in suffering.

Hebrews 12:5-11  “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

It is clear from this passage that sorrow, suffering, pain and tribulation are not always a form of punishment but it is for child training.  It all has a purpose.

We as parents all make mistakes when we raise our children, but not God.  His ways are perfect.

We are being decentralized for God.  We are being prepared to rule with Him.

I like this poem I read a number of years ago:

I walked a mile with pleasure, she chattered all the way, but left me none the wiser for all she had to say. I walked a mile with sorrow, and ne’re heard a word she said, but O the things I learned from her when sorrow walked with me.

So, instead of trying to run from God and staying the course He has planned for you - try focusing on God’s plan for your life - even if it is difficult and painful at time.

Don’t waste your sorrows - any of them!  For, in doing so, you will just have to face it again sometime down the road.

Every difficulty and every sorrow you have experienced has a purpose which is to make you more like Christ and to prepare you to rule with Him someday!