Hebrews 12:

• The Bible is full of people who experience incredibly difficult things. Some lose everything, some are ostracized, some die in obscurity. Somehow we read these stories and come away thinking, “How incredible! I’m glad that won’t happen to me.” Why NOT?! Is God not speaking through you to those around you? (vs. 1) Does God not love you? (vs. 5a) Is God not perfecting you? (vs. 2) When we deny the probability of trials in our lives, we are denying the love of God as it confronts sin. God’s love, in this world, creates friction…and friction hurts!
• If “the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (vs. 6) and “all discipline seems painful” (vs. 11), then can we say that we are loved by God when our lives mesh so easily with the patterns of this broken world? If we continue to see hard times as things to strategically avoid, and we fail to use painful realities to attack sinful self, then we are running from the promises of peace and righteousness. (vs. 11-15)

Jesus, you know this is hard for me. Deep down, against my own struggles, against myself, I want to know your ways, walk in your ways, and reflect your ways.