In the last post I talked about the different types of suffering we encounter as well as the purpose of each. Now it’s time to discuss how God would want us to deal with these experiences and feelings when we’re faced with them.

Here are some things to realize:

You can’t escape it.

First, you need to  stop trying to think that because you’re a Christian life is supposed to be great and nothing bad will happen to you. That is a dangerous mindset and one that will always leave you hurt and confused. Unfortunately, suffering is apart of life just like sin is. As Christians it is our job to be prepared for such things so we can deal with them properly. We should also remember that one day we will be in Heaven where there is “no more death, crying, or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

Who is on your side?

You may be confused as to what God is doing in your life, but there is one thing you can know for certain: Satan is against you and he is always out to kill and destroy you. He will do whatever it takes to separate you from God and suffering is only one of his tools. Give the evil in your life credit where it is due. Don’t let Satan drive the wedge of doubt between you and God. Remember God is the one that is for you (Romans 8:31). God gives hope and a future and He doesn’t want you to spend eternity in Hell (Jeremiah 29:11). If there is any doubt of that, take it up with Jesus (James 1:5)

Steps to take.

In order to walk confidently on such a difficult path, it begins with humility. When everything is going right and our way it is easy to become proud and think we have everything under control. God reminds us that that is not so. The Bible also encourages us to “be exalted in our humility” because lowliness has a way of putting us back in our place (James 1:9).

The next thing to do is pray and seek God. Pray for wisdom which is more precious than treasure of all kinds (Proverbs 8:11). Pray for humility. Pray for the ability to forgive others as well as yourself. Pray not for God to take your situation away, but instead pray that He will pull you through and draw you closer to Him so that you may become a stronger warrior for God. Finally, thank God for what He is doing in your life.

Now it is time for you to decide how to act. If you are going through suffering of any kind whether it be through illness, grief, or a bad relationship, fear not and rejoice knowing our God works through what the enemy plans for evil and molds it into something beautiful and perfect (Romans 8:28).

My friends, are you going to let God carry you through the hurt, heal your pain, and teach you how to forgive?

If you need prayer for anything, just comment on the prayer request page or send me an e-mail: LJMeahl@yahoo.com

God Bless!

-LJM

Let me begin by saying that I felt like I knew how to handle my problems as well as others by giving them the simple explanation of sin = pain and suffering and that is why we have to deal with it. Needless to say, I soon realized that that is not an explanation that comforts and helps those who are in distress.

My personal experiences as well as others have caused me to search for answers with the intention of solidifying my faith, comforting others, and learning how to correctly respond to trials in life. If any of these relate to you, I hope that you will be blessed by this post.

To clarify, suffering may be felt by all, but for all it doesn’t feel the same.

There are 4 different types of suffering maybe even more, did you know that? There is a suffering that stems from the consequences of our own sin like a child who receives a spanking because they disobeyed their parents. The spanking acts as both a punishment as well as a guide to help the child make different and wiser decisions. (Hebrews 12:6-7)

There’s suffering from persecution that ranges from bullying in middle school to trying to kill off entire races because of their beliefs. As Christians we know Jesus didn’t beat around the bush about whether or not we would be persecuted. He said, “Pick up your cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24) and my personal favorite, “you will be hated by all men for my name’s sake” (Matt. 10:22). Persecution of all kinds comes with the territory of being a Christ follower; therefore, be prepared and know that God rejoices at His children who stand firm in the face of hatred and belittlement.

Another type comes in the form of grief and unfortunately it is one that we all know too well. Grieving is never easy no matter what the cause. Fortunately, through Christ we are never completely separated from our loved ones in death, but we have hope we will see them again. As for the grieving process, we know even Jesus wept and mourned for the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). Remember, Jesus feels your pain and will comfort you (John 14:18).

Finally there is suffering that comes from no fault of our own, but from someone else’s sin such as getting hit by a drunk driver or children that are born into drug addiction and grow after being sexually molested. This form often stumps people and as a result they question God’s almighty power and purpose in their life. Too many times I hear, why does God allow sin? Why would He let a child get abused? What kind of God lets innocent people suffer?

From what the Lord has been teaching me, the answer that I can give is that Jesus was the ultimate example of someone innocent who had to suffer. God had to say no to His only Son when asked if “this cup should pass over me” (Matt. 26:39). But Jesus had the final word. He forgave His enemies and though He died, He was made alive and whole again! If Jesus can forgive the people who put nails in His hands, shouldn’t we be able to forgive those who left “scars” on us as well? (Matt. 6:15)

This is only the beginning my friends, I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface! Keep on the look out for a follow up post entitled “Now You Know, Now What?” which will demonstrate how we should approach our suffering and how to respond when we are suddenly thrown through fiery trials. Meanwhile take the time to read the biblical passages strewn throughout this message and discover what God may be teaching you through His word.

Thank you for reading and God bless!

-LJM

Picture this:

You are standing in a courtroom handcuffed and heavy laden. You know what’s going to happen to you. You attempted murder on a significant figure and in the courtroom in front of the world you hear, “Sentenced to death.”

Just then, the victim stands up in the court before the judge and says, “Wait.” You look up to see him before you and he looks you straight in the eye and says, “I forgive you and I will accept your punishment instead.”

***

Do you know anyone in their right mind that would do that?

I’m stealing this analogy from Pastor Tony Nolan who made me realize how precious is the gift of Jesus. Through the lens of the world we see a crime against our fellow man a lower priority than a crime against say the President of the United States. God sees both as equal and each crime is ultimately against the Lord of all Creation. God is also clear about the punishment for that as well. “The wages of sin is death…” but don’t stop reading! “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Roman 6:23)

Jesus stood up in court and said I don’t care what they did to me, I will take their death penalty. Jesus did not just get a slap on the hand; he suffered an agonizing death. Try to fathom an agonizing death that never ends! That is the jail that we would have been heading for if it weren’t for Jesus.

The Bible talks about “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Can you imagine laying down your life for your friend much less someone who did you wrong? That being said, how would you respond?

Imagine having to watch an innocent person willingly die because he wanted you to be free.

First, I would feel tremendously guilty and I would probably ask why me? Then I would realize that I have been given a second chance at life. Anyone who has had a brush with death will confirm their new found appreciation of life. As a result, they live differently.

If my close friend took my death penalty, I don’t know about you, but I would make my friend known to the world to inspire, to encourage, and give hope. Then I would strive to be more like my friend.

That is what we are called to do. Who wouldn’t want to keep this story inside? Who wouldn’t want to love like never before? We are called to be like the one who loved us so much that he said “I got this one, you try again.”

Try again at life because without Jesus you are doing something wrong. Try to make better decisions, try to be more loving, try to forgive, and try to be positive. You will make mistakes. You might get stuck in the trials of life like quicksand. You might even fall into a deep black hole of life’s worst circumstances, but if you don’t try to get out, you never will.

With tears in my eyes, I realized how surreal my relationship with my Savior is and I don’t want you to miss out on his wonderful gift of love, companionship, and forgiveness.

We stumble everyday with God; we get into a rut and we get discouraged. I’m a clumsy person and I trip all of the time (figuratively and literally), but if I look where I’m going I won’t trip as often. So how are you going to respond to a being that endured your hate and your crimes and still said I’ll take it because I love you?

Accept his gift and try again.

God bless!

-LJM

One evening I was driving back to campus listening to a sermon on the radio. The speaker focused on the idolatry of the Israelites after they were rescued out of Egypt. I suddenly got this startling image: If Yahweh walked into our house or bedroom, what kind of gods or images would He find? What if, in a jealous rage, the Lord of all creation tore the posters from our walls, threw away the books from our shelves, and obliterated our TV and gaming system?

Don’t get ahead of me. Exodus 34:14 tells us that even the name of God is Jealous. Two out of the 10 commandments emphasize worshiping gods and material things. It continues to boggle my mind no matter how many times the Israelites saw, felt, and even heard the glory of the God of the universe, they still had trouble staying away from idolatry. If we think that our hearts will magically change once we witness a miracle, read Exodus and think again.

The next statement I heard spoke to me deeply. “If the Lord isn’t Lord of all, then He isn’t Lord at all.” How can the Lord be in control of our lives if we continue to put other things before Him? Putting dependence on anything except God is putting our faith and trust elsewhere. Usually these things that we trust in life fail us like losing a job, a role model that makes a makes a mistake, or an electronic that stops working.

The reason God couldn’t lead the Israelites directly to the Promised Land was because they had too much of Egypt’s culture and practices that displeased God. They acted how the culture wanted them to act; therefore, God had to try and purge the idolatry from their hearts. Those who rebelled against God died because God doesn’t play around.

I love how the Bible is so applicable to life. Just because we don’t live in Egypt doesn’t mean we haven’t adopted the wicked ways of our culture. God needs to rid us from the ways of this world and faith in it so that we can enter into the Promised Land, Heaven.

We will always be tempted with idols, big and small. Millions of idols surround us every day and they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Our job as Christians is to overcome the things in our lives that take God’s place. Not sure what your idol is? Just think of the object, the activity, the person in your life that you give more attention to than God.

Our Father has given us the natural desire to worship and treasure things, but that desire should always be guided towards Him, the one who knitted us in our mother’s womb and died so that we could forever be together. He wants to be worshiped, He wants to be glorified. After all, He gives us gifts, blessings, freedom, comfort, and life itself. He is most certainly worthy of our praise!

God Bless!

-LJM

PS. If you want to learn more about overcoming idolatry, check out my post “5 Ways to Eliminate Your Golden Calf”

Exodus 20:3-6, 1 John 5:21, Colossians 3:5, Leviticus 19:4, 1 Corinthians 10:14, Psalm 139:13

There are moments in my relationship with God where the Holy Spirit lays a finger on me. Just the tiniest touch from God brings tears of joy to my eyes and puts me on my knees in worship. These are the moments where I am reminded how much I love God and more importantly, how much God loves me.

One church service I was contemplating factors that keep non-believers and even believers from pursuing a relationship with Christ. Most of the time people bring up questions like “If there is a God, then why hasn’t he taken care of me?” or “If God is so loving, why are there innocent children hurting in the world?” Those questions used to stop me in my tracks because I didn’t know how to answer them. I often asked those questions myself, and because I had no answer I was left discouraged.

During this particular service (that I wasn’t listening to apparently) I got the sudden urge to write. It was as if these thoughts were about to explode from my mind if I didn’t immediately get a piece of paper! I ended up using the church bulletin to capture the explosion. I felt as though God were speaking them into my heart at that moment and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Who are we to question whether God is doing His job correctly? He generously gave us the gift of freewill and because we are flawed human beings, we abuse it. Believe me when I say that God did not create a flawed universe, but Satan ushered sin into our lives so that we would bring chaos to the world.

God does not make us sin. The Bible tells us that God doesn’t even tempt us to sin. We are born into sin so it is our job to rid the sin from our lives through the power of Jesus Christ. The sin of others causes innocent people to hurt. If you have a fragment of belief that God loves us, trust that Jesus weeps over His children especially those who are hurting.

In all honesty and love, rather than asking “God, why?” we should be praying, “Lord, forgive me of my imperfections and help me to trust Your plan.”

This humbling revelation forced me to look at Job in the Bible. Job was innocent and righteous and Satan hated that. The test was to bring Job to his knees in pain and see if he would still look to God for help. If you read Job you’ll know that God put Job in his place when He needed to.

There are many verses in the Bible that demonstrate God’s power and might. In my opinion, if God were to have a weakness, it would be His unconditional love for us. Even though we curse Him, disobey Him, and even run away from Him, He is still willing to forgive us and let us into His kingdom. Though He certainly doesn’t have to, I thank God for his constant mercy in my life and I hope you will too.

God Bless,

-LJ

1 Corinthians 1:25, Isaiah 55:8, Job 40 and 41, 2 Timothy 2:26, John 3:16

You know you’ve seen the Buzzfeed lists: “15 Signs You Go to a Christian School” or “25 Things You See on a Christian Campus.” These articles may point out truths, but their satirical tone towards Christians irks me more than amuses me. God has brought me to a Christian campus, and my life has not been the same. For the past three years my relationship with my Savior has grown leaps and bounds and the change in me can prove it. When I walk around my campus I see beautiful things that can only be God inspired. Instead of making fun of them, we should take the time to appreciate the small but beautiful things that God has blessed us with.

So here is my list of observations: “10 Beauties of Living on a Christian Campus”

1. Guys who pray

Any form of prayer even for the most mundane situations is a reminder that God is in control of the smallest things in life. I smile whenever I see men of God take the time out of their day to stop and sincerely pray for a friend. Sometimes I even see a group of guys standing off to the side of a building in the middle of the day with arms around each other in prayer.

2. Enjoying a sunny day with a blanket and a Bible

Reading the Bible is not an expression of “Holier than thou” it is an expression of the desire to know God and grow closer to Him. Using the opportunities God gives you to enjoy communing with Him is far more enjoyable than staying cooped up inside on Facebook.

3. Random worship

Worship is not when groups of people get together to hand raise or sing for no reason, it is an outlet for thanks and praise to the One who created us. It is a feeling of peace and thankfulness that comes out in different ways. I walked into the prayer chapel to see a girl on her knees singing her heart out to God no matter who else was in there to hear. It was humbling to see her sharing her form of worship with no shame whatsoever.

4. Random acts of kindness

Ever since I came to this school I have noticed that it is a regular practice among students in the cafeteria to take each other’s dishes to the dish return. It is a small gesture, but it makes me smile every time and encourages me to do the same for others. I have also observed students reaching out to strangers. Just last week I watched a guy leave his group of friends to sit with another guy who was sitting by himself. Not only does it take someone out of their comfort zone, but it also opens up new opportunities to make an impact.

5. Praying teachers

Each class is opened with the teacher saying a prayer. Though it may seem tedious it opens up avenues of connection between the teachers and the students. I am comforted whenever teachers ask for prayer requests because it shows that they actually care about what is going on with each student.

6. Bible studies galore

Bible studies may not always sound exciting, but they actually are great places to get involved. Going to a Bible study not only connects you to fellow seeking Christians, but they also provide a means for encouragement. There is nothing better than feeling invited by a group of students who are focusing on important matters in life and ways to be a better person.

7. Ring by Spring

Whereas the “ring by spring” mentality really shouldn’t be encouraged, it is what it represents that is beautiful. Couples on this campus promote keeping God in the center of your relationship, and how to stay strong in resisting temptations. As difficult as it is, I don’t see anything wrong with morals that help build a strong foundation for a relationship rather than seeing how many times you can get your heart broken in a year.

8. Chapel

Chapel may be a requirement throughout the week and there will be times where you don’t want to go, but I have realized after three years that Chapel is designed to give you a breath of fresh air from a stressful morning and prepare you for the day ahead. It is a brief time to thank God for the day and listen to a message reminding you that God is in control of your life for a glorious reason. For those who don’t walk into Chapel with a positive attitude, you are bound to snicker, make negative comments, and probably fall asleep. I would rather use the mandatory hour of my day to glorify God rather than waste my time complaining.

9. Designated prayer places

You can pray whenever wherever, but I think that it is beautiful that the campus has places dedicated to prayer. There are outside fountains or ponds to sit next to on a shiny day. When it is cloudy and rainy, there is a little chapel specially designed to relieve stress by praying. There are even boxes for prayer requests if you want a prayer to be made known to others. A campus that realizes the importance of communicating with God is a place where I like to be.

10. Random prayer

I was in the prayer chapel one school day and a girl sat down beside me and introduced herself. She asked me if I had anything that she could pray for and once I told her she asked if she could pray with me in that moment. She touched my hand and began to pray. As I listened to her voice, I couldn’t help but smile at her bold and kind heart. Selfless people are made from girls like her. The simplest things can brighten up one’s day and knowing that God smiles at such kindness makes it all worth while.

You will notice that many of my observations include prayer. I don’t think Paul was joking when he said in the Bible to “pray without ceasing.” In my experience focusing on God is infinitely more rewarding that fulfilling immediate needs and desires. Even though we as students have come to get a higher education it is more important to me that I leave here with a stronger relationship with God than a piece of paper to hang on my wall. God defines us, not what college we graduate from and not how many degrees we have framed. So no matter what college you attend be it public or Christian, let God show you the beauty of His love that surrounds you.

God Bless,

-LJM

1 Thessalonians 5:17, Proverbs 27:17, 1 Corinthians 10:24, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Galations 5:22-23, Luke 6:35

Comedian Chris Rock made the comment, “I’m not afraid of dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”

I’m with him all the way. I would have to say that death has always been one of my greatest fears. Not so much death itself, but the way in which I will die. Will it hurt? Will I feel myself slip away? Will I be afraid? What will I be thinking when it happens? These are the questions that plague my mind not only in regards to my own death, but when I hear about the death of others as well.

Something that has taken me a long time to come to grips with is how death is no big deal to God. It merely is the final step that leads us to Him. I was taught that the first person I’ll see when I die will be Jesus and that has always encouraged me growing up. I’ve pictured myself opening my eyes for the first time in Heaven and seeing Jesus kneeling over me as if waking me up from a nap.

The point is death is not something to fear. Jesus conquered the grave so that death would not be the end of life, but the beginning of life with Him. If we are God’s children, no matter what kind of death the enemy has in store for us, in the end, we will be with the Lord.

Now that that is taken care of, what do we really have to fear in this life? This is coming from the child who was deemed a worrywart. I myself have many fears to overcome, but knowing that God is in control of everything that comes at me is the first step towards a life with no fear. The Bible reminds us constantly that we should not be afraid for God is with us. That is an amazing promise and one that had to be repeated over and over again in order to us to fully grasp it.

It is no secret that fear is a prison. It is one of the strongest tools used by the enemy and I have seen firsthand in my life at how it manipulates people. Fear keeps us from taking risks, and I’m not talking risks like bungee jumping or sky-diving. I am talking about stepping out of your comfort zone in order to do what God has asked us to do—live for Him.

It includes risking what others think of you. It risks relationships, friendships, and being misunderstood. These things are significant in my life and I often struggle with taking the risks. I realize though that if I don’t, I lose out on an opportunity to shine my light to others, especially the ones closest to me. Am I willing to risk being useful to God so I can be liked by the world? The new testament is very clear about the idea of showing preference to the world.

Through my struggle I am learning that in the end the risk is worth the result. So my friends, I encourage you to know what you fear most in this life and strive to overcome it. In the end, you will become a strong force that God can use for His glory.

God Bless,

-LJM

1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2, 1 John 4:18, Isaiah 41:10

As I was perusing my Physical Fitness textbook, I marveled at the insights it gave into what they call “wellness.” In this case, the text explained how society can keep themselves well and healthy. Among sleep, stress management and your typical diet and exercise, it also mentioned a spiritual factor. The more I read the more I saw the parallels between being physically healthy and spiritually. Upon reflecting on what it takes to be spiritually well I drew several conclusions and many will sound familiar.

***

1. Start Your Day Off Right

You know that refreshed feeling you get when you start your morning with a light jog or choose to have a protein shake for breakfast instead of a stack of pancakes? Energy just flows through you for the rest of the day and it makes you feel more positive and even proud of yourself. Talking to God in the morning has a similar effect. As soon as my feet touch the floor in the morning I make sure to wish my Savior a “Good morning.” After all, He is the reason I have another morning! Thanking God for another day not only focuses your priorities on God, but actually equips you for what the day will bring. Now your mind is in the right direction and you are more prone to be positive in tough situations and be thankful for the blessings.

2. Be Physically Well

We as Christians are supposed to act as the arms and legs of God. We don’t want weak limbs in charge of doing God’s will. Our body is a temple in which God dwells so it must be strong. Say no to the candy bar once in awhile, get your heart pumping fast each day, and be wise enough to keep your body from unnecessary harm. The world believes that because it is their body, they can do whatever they want with it. On the contrary, our body is borrowed from our Creator, therefore it should be treated with care and respect. This includes knowing that you don’t need to be adorned with “decorations” to express yourself and it may mean not putting more holes in your body than God gave you.

3. Clean out your brain cavity

As important as our physical state of being is, God dwells within us therefore we need to take a look at ourselves internally and do some spring cleaning. Deep dark secrets clutter our mind, bad experiences weigh us down with baggage, dislike and contempt keep us restricted. A lot goes on in our minds that hold us back from focusing on God. There is truth to the saying “Garbage in, garbage out.”  We fill our minds with trash by devouring the latest vampire series, spending 3 days on catching up with your favorite TV show on Netflix, and surfing the web on the latest celebrity gossip. I am guilty of all the above, but I have also seen the result of indulging in such things. Separation from God. It’s a process, but with God you can lay down your baggage and secrets, forgive those who’ve wronged you, seek forgiveness from others, and use your time wisely.

4. Get Educated

God has equipped us with the oldest textbook there is: the Bible. It isn’t wise for Christians to go around thinking that because they know the general Bible stories like “David and Goliath” and “Jonah and the Whale,” they do not have to read more of the Bible. The Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” With every good book, no matter how many times you reread it, you get more out of it. Behind each word in the Bible is a message from our Savior. It is a strong vehicle for our communication with God. Reading the Bible better educates us in God’s will and way. It will give you real life applications. Just like a class tests you on the knowledge you acquire in the textbook, Satan tests you on the knowledge you acquire in the Bible. And that is not a test you want to fail.

5. Pray Often

Another vehicle of communication is prayer. How do you expect to get close to your friends if you don’t talk to them? Is it true friendship if you only go to them when you need something? We have the luxury of Jesus’ companionship at our fingertips 24/7! The Bible says to “pray without ceasing.” Prayer should not be limited to meals, bedtime, and the occasional devastation. Prayer should be a continual conversation with God. Impossible, you think? Maybe now, but you are missing out on the blessing that is to talk to God. Most common people can’t even get an audience with their king or queen, but we have the opportunity to commune with Him all the time. What is sad is that more often that not Jesus seeks an audience with us but we say we are too busy. I guarantee from experience that the more you talk to God, the more He’ll talk to you and the more your life will change.

***

God gives us the tools in order to live life to the fullest. His greatest resource was His son Jesus who became our medium and made a path to paradise. By striving to improve all of these areas in my life, I have seen a significant change in me and what is great is you can too. Become spiritually well, my friends. It is the best decision you will ever make.

God Bless!

-LJM

1 Thessalonians 5:17,  Psalms 4:3, Hosea 4:6,

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Matthew 15:11, Philippians 4:8