These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Corinthians 10:11-13 (The Message)
For the first time, I am welcoming a guest writer to “Night Writing in the Morning Light. This article submitted to me by Rachel King seems apropos to our current little series on depression. Hopefully Ms King will appear occasionally at this site with her perspective. Below is some information about Rachel taken from the site for which she writes regularly as well a brief blurb of that site’s purpose.
"Ms. King recently graduated from the University of Houston and has experience in the print journalism world. She was involved in many different Christian organizations while attending college. She uses this to her advantage while researching and producing Christian material for this website. Ms. King focus is to provide adequate and reliable information to the Christian community at large. Her hobbies include being active in her church community, knitting and watching a good movie.
"Christian Universities is devoted to providing Christian students who are considering attending an online Christian university with an explanation of their choices and reviews of the costs and benefits."
The Heavier the Cross, the Stronger the Shoulders
by
Rachel King
Being human means we must undergo pain and suffering; no one goes through life with just positive experiences alone, and in fact, some of us endure more trials and tribulations than others. If we ask the question Why, we would have no answer. How do we know why certain people are chosen to suffer while others are not? The Bible tells us that God has a reason for everything that happens, that it is all part of his greater plan. So when something bad happens, perhaps you were chosen to be at the receiving end because:
· God knows that you are strong enough to bear it. He has given you a cross that your shoulders can carry. If someone else with a weaker mentality had suffered this trouble, they would have broken down under the strain. Remember, the heavier the cross, the stronger the shoulders that God has chosen to bear it.
· God trusts that you have the courage and strength to solve the problem and get past it. He has given you the tools needed to meet troubles head on and tackle them without batting an eyelid. He has made you a shrewd, mature and clever person who knows how to solve problems and get past them.
· Troubles make us stronger people; they condition us to be able to take the ups with the downs and the rough with the smooth; and they teach us to take things in their stride instead of being affected by trials.
· They bring us closer to God. It’s a sad but true fact of life that we think of God and become closer to Him only when we’re affected by troubles. We hardly ever pray when we’re happy and satisfied with life, even to offer gratitude and praise the Lord. So perhaps a small setback is just what you need to renew your relationship with God.
· This setback is just a stepping-stone to achieving greater things. When I had to undergo knee surgery, little did I know that it was the foundation for me gaining stronger legs and a slimmer body. All the physical therapy in the gym to get my knee flexible and mobile again made me reduce my weight significantly and completely changed the way I looked. So in essence, my torn ligament was a blessing in disguise, a blessing I had to wait a year to realize.
So the next time you feel a problem is insurmountable, just close your eyes and pray for strength to accept and solve it, and you can rest assured God will show you a way out. After all, if He has led you to it, believe that He will lead you out of it too.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Rachel King, who writes on the topic of Online Christian Universities . Rachel welcomes your comments at her email address: r.king8383@rediffmail.com.
