It is sad to say, but by the time Beth did this message, my head was really congested and I wasn’t following much of what was going on, but I know it was GOOD! π
One of the things I appreciated about this was the way Beth spoke the truth about how we often hide our authenticity behind one thing and another. In fact, we may have disappointment in the choices God has made in our lives…and this can cause a stronghold in our lives. This is precisely what I mean when I have shared that we need to forgive God! Not in the sense that God does wrong, because he doesn’t. But in the sense that I perceive he has done me wrong and I feel resentment…I need to be authentic with him. When my theology (that good Christian girls don’t get upset with God) gets in the way of my authenticity (“God, I don’t understand that if you are good all the time, why you have allowed this, or ordained it?”) I believe we are out of God’s will. In fact, God doesn’t care as much about our right theology as he does that we are his and humble before him, bringing him all our broken pieces, our empty places and our lack of understanding as to why he has allowed what he has.
Bring it to him. He can take it. In fact, he records numerous times that the psalmists did precisely that in the psalms. He can take our true feelings. Why pretend?
Sorry…that stuff was my own rambling. Don’t blame Beth for that.
Some important things that came of this session:
* Even the most faithful believers will be entrusted with trials.
* Even when our own actions have brought painful trials on us, God is working it for our good.
* The only discipline he puts us through is that which will heal.
Heidi, This is important for Christians to understand. When I lost my daughter I wasn’t angry at first, just hurt, but when her three year old son (he had so much faith)would ask me to pray that God would send her back to him, I threw my hands up to heaven, and said, WHY GOD WOULD YOU DO THAT TO A LITTLE CHILD’S FAITH??You know HE has perfected so many things concerning my grandson, and I have learned to trust God over and over. But at that time, I thought God would punish me. Then I picked up a pamphlet on grief. The pastor said, Tell God how you feel. HE can take it. That was a big relief to me, and the healing process started.I tried to pretend I wasn’t mad at God, but that didn’t work.