But in general, things that caused physical pain no longer were a problem. I had learned that pain was not something to be feared, but embraced, when I embraced the pain, didn't run from it or complain about it, but almost jump in it, it lost it's power. For example, when you have some crazy sunburn and you jump in a hot shower. Silly example, but embracing it, and after a few seconds it is gone.
Or when someone is trying to get a reaction out of you by hurting you, embracing it, and mastering yourself, takes the fun away.
This is not uncommon, in fact most of us are at this stage in our lives, we realise that the [pain we feel is not as bad as it seems, and now the fear of it is gone.
My question is this, why are we all so afraid of the conviction of God? I read blogs, I hear stories, I talk to many people, Christians, and we seem to be a people who are uncomfortable in the conviction of God.
Now I understand how awkward it is. It is very painful, it is very humbling. It hurts, sometimes even physically, you can feel it in your heart. We view it as a necessary evil.
What if we could learn to love the conviction of God? What might happen if instead of running and eventually being caught up in it, we jump into it as soon as we can, learning to take joy in it.
We might just become like David. A person after the heart of God, so committed, so tenacious in his pursuit of a clean heart before God.
We might find that we grow beyond what was thought possible. God promises to exalt the humble, but he also promises to resist the proud! When we say to God I can do this myself... We are making life very hard for our self But when we commit to throw our life away, our reputation into the arms of God, His love surrounds us, and His favour goes before us.
The chastisement of God is a beautiful thing, it brings us closer to Him, it shows His love for us.. that He would care. Learn to embrace the pain, it takes the fear away, and a glorious new life is found. We do not have to have control over anything but ourselves, our attitudes and will. But let us teach them to love the teaching of God, to embrace the fullness of life that He has.
I promise two things. That it will hurt in the beginning, but that you will go to depths that you had never thought possible in your relationship with Him.