Grief Bites: Finding Treasure In HardshipsSample

Someone I am close to gets irritated when her soda becomes watered down from the ice in her cup...and then someone refills her beverage with new soda. To her, it ruins the taste. She would much rather have all the contents in her glass tossed out then start fresh with new ice and fresh soda. I think many of us become irritated with God and others when they try to pour new spiritual things into our lives...but we aren't willing to rid ourselves of what needs poured out of our lives. How can God truly fill or refresh our cups when we refuse to pour the old contents out? So often, we get frustrated with God for how our lives are going...but we fail to see that the problem is sometimes our own self. I can honestly say that some losses I have been through have had a common root: I made a foolish decision years or months before...and now I am experiencing the consequences of my own decisions. When we ask Jesus for forgiveness, He forgives us of our sins...but not always the consequences of our sins. We need to ask ourselves a harsh unpopular question during times of hardship: "Is the loss I am experiencing really God's fault or another person's fault...or is it due to my own choices or sin?"...ouch... The cool news is this: God is a God of second chances. He has the ability to renew our minds, make us a brand new creation, and to do a brand new work in our lives. There are so many things that can interfere with the new work God wants to do in our lives...sin, wrong thoughts, bitterness, hanging on to old hurts, etc...the list is endless! We each know in our heart what is tripping us in our walk with God. Ask God to help you to empty these old things out so you will be prepared for God to freshly fill your life with new things!