"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains..."

I think all of us have two sides to our personalities: sometimes we are out going and sometimes we like to be alone; sometimes we like classical music and other times we just want to listen to electric guitar; sometimes we like change and sometimes we don’t. Generally speaking I love routine, I don’t like change (at all, if you ask people close to me); however, in my relationship with God I like change for many reasons:

 

1) The word ‘relationship’ is an active and dynamic word to me. For example, we cannot have a meaningful conversation with someone—and know that person personally--if we keep repeating the same dialogue to them every day.

 

2) God’s goal for our lives, and it should be our goal too, is to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. And we all know He is perfect and so if we keep growing spiritually every day for the rest of our lives, it would still not be enough to reach His awesome holiness. How about if we don’t even change—if we just continue living our routine lives?!

 

3) I’ve found that no matter how much I think I know spiritually and how much spiritual wisdom I possess, there is always something deep (or sometimes something that seems so simple but I’ve completely missed) God wants to teach me and reveal about Himself that I didn’t know.

 

And so I often pray that God makes me uncomfortable, shakes me emotionally and spiritually, and to do whatever it takes to change me or motivate me to seek change…even if it means He sends very painful trials in my life. And He usually honours that prayer and does send painful trials to draw us closer to Him, conform us to the likeness of His Son, teach more about who He is, and glorify Himself through us and our responses to our trials.

 

Currently, I am in the midst of a very painful trial—and have been for sometime now; it is something I had prayed for few years ago, and so when I went through it some time ago and one day was complaining about it in prayer the Holy Spirit reminded of that prayer I had prayed few years ago (which I had forgotten all about) and I understood that He was just responding to my prayer through this painful trial—as usual He is being faithful by answering my prayer for my own good and His glory. And one day when I see its end, God’s way that is, I will share it with you. I usually don’t like to quote people in my writings—I’d rather quote scripture—but I think those quotes are supported by the Bible’s teachings:

 

"Whatever brings you to your knees in weakness carries the greatest potential for your personal success and spiritual victory." (Charles Stanley)

 

"No one enjoys feeling weak, whether it is emotionally, spiritually or physically. There is something within the human spirit that wants to resist the thought of weakness [or pain]. Many times this is nothing more than our human pride at work. Just as weakness carries a great potential for strength, pride carries an equally great potential for defeat." (Charles Stanley)

 

“Adversity is always unexpected and unwelcomed. It is an intruder and a thief, and yet in the hands of God, adversity becomes the means through which His supernatural power is demonstrated.” (Charles Stanley)

 

“Yieldedness [pain has its very effect way of breaking our self centeredness, disobedience, and self will] and is vital in listening to what He has to say.” (Charles Stanley)

 

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." (C.S Lewis)

 

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However, recently God has also been sending me encouragement to change through the messages of (what I believe) a very faithful servant of His and godly man, and that is: Paul Washer.

 

As soon as I saw those fruits I remembered the verses I have posted on the capture, and so I photographed them. I do realize some Christians may feel uncomfortable with those verses (I certainly was before; and even know there are verses that I don’t understand and make me uncomfortable), but that’s the whole point of this topic: feel uncomfortable, be uncomfortable, so you let God do His work in changing you. That’s why I dedicated this whole photograph to the sermons of Paul Washer. My hope and prayer is that you seriously consider listening to them, but before you listen to them that you pray the Holy Spirit use them to conform you to the likeness of your Lord and Saviour, and to honour the Father through your life—through the change He is going to do in your life.

 

Paul Washer - Shocking Message (full length)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuabITeO4l8

 

Isn't it Enough? (Paul Washer's Secret)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J471VobaZks

 

We Have Forgotten that the Way is Narrow - Paul Washer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hGBFVzYZ4

 

"I'm Not Ashamed of the Scandal." (Paul Washer)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=teLvofaVeEA

 

Be a Man... Biblically (Paul Washer)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ0kJW3nz4

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My last words are those: Do you suffer from an addiction? May be it is a sexual sin, uncontrollable anger, or deep rooted pride? Do you hate the fact that you have not changed for the better—become more like Jesus-- in a while? Do you desire God to do His work in your life, to fulfill His purpose in your life? I challenge you to pray asking Him to do whatever it takes--even sending you through very painful trials--to change you, free, heal you, and glorify Himself through your life.

 

(Toronto, ON; summer 2008.)

 

 

 

Done