Comfort and Pain
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2Cor12: 7-10 God’s kingdom is often counterintuitive and His economy is opposite of our popular culture.
“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”― C.S. Lewis
John Burke book about the church, “No Perfect People Allowed”
The nature of the Church as God designed it is to be a setting where we all agree that we are needing forgiveness and acceptance in spite of our flaws. How am I a part of that love and acceptance with others?
The church is a setting where we can and should share our stories for help and encouragement of others. The world cannot think that our church is a gathering of perfect and holier than thou superior people. They will never enter that setting.
God intentionally put a thorn in Paul’s life. Paul tried tree times to reason and negotiate with God. But God had a specific purpose for this thorn “..to keep me from becoming conceited.” So this thorn was an act of God’s love for Paul.
My typical reaction to pain and hard circumstance is to pray for and find the fastest way out, back to personal peace, and comfort, and self sufficiency. God likely has longer range plans for me. Jer 29:11
God is in the pain and difficulty I face and His promise is 2Cor 12:9 “..my grace is sufficient for you”
The power of God flows through a life and a church which is HUMBLE