It's CONTRACTION time

"I am a Christian therefore I am not supposed to go through pain and hard times. I am not supposed to experience difficulties and tribulations".

If this is what you've been thinking, well, I would like to stop you right there!

Let me clarify something: being a Christian does NOT exclude you from suffering.

Thinking that salvation through Jesus-Christ is an anti-dote against pain or again an injection that will keep you away from the troubles of this world is to me an illusion, a misconception.

As long as we are in this world we will know pain, we will be challenged, we will go through hard times, we will get disappointed and heartbroken.

However, our salvation and our faith in Jesus is the medicine, the cure that will heal, strengthen, fix, restore and help us go through those difficult times and overcome them.
In other words, it does not keep us from suffering but it helps us go through it and overcome it!

Now let me take you to Romans 8: 22-27

 ^"22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."

 
The whole world suffers, even us who have been saved and born again.
We can suffer from sickness, brokenness, stress, frustration, confusion, broken-heart, temptation , you name it all. And we so many times ask God to deliver us from what we go through but it doesn't happen right away.

In fact, if you take a look at 2 Corinthians 12:8, the apostle Paul says that He was given a thorn in his flesh, something that was tormenting Him, a great distress. And He pleaded God to take it away:

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness".

In other words God was saying Keep Calm! I've got it under control.

I read a french quote the other day which translates like this: "God is not ALWAYS there to deliver us from the storm. But He is definitely there to help us go through it, with Him, and come out victorious"

Verse 22-23--> Why comparing our suffering with Childbirth pain?

Because childbirth pain gives place to a miracle.
During pregnancy, there is something growing inside of a woman, something that she cannot see but only feel.
As it is for a pregnant woman, when we go through trials and tribulations there are things growing inside us that we don't see- that can be faith, wisdom, endurance, perseverance, knowledge, patience, strength, compassion, peace, love etc.
The same way a pregnant woman cannot see her child until birth time, We cannot see the fruit and the reward while we endure the suffering but only at the end of the suffering- after having been patient and having trusted the Lord faithfully.

It is when you are about to reap your harvest; when you are about to produce the best fruit; it is when you are about to birth something great that you experience the greatest pain.
Just like a pregnant woman goes through some discomfort and frustration during the pregnancy you will experience discomfort during the storm, you will be frustrated, you will feel tired.
But hear this, the greater the suffering the greater the blessing.

And when the pain really becomes unbearable she knows she needs to push! This is CONTRACTION time!!!
You have to recognize contraction time in your life! It is a signal letting you know it's time to push harder because the breakthrough is here, the miracle is about to happen.

So don't you ever get discouraged when everything get worst. Keep hoping, persevering, stay prayed up for at the right time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

And when you think you've done everything you could possibly do and prayed all the prayers you could possibly pray, don't worry, it's okay to be silent. Sometimes words are no longer enough . 

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans".verse 26

The Holy spirit knows our pregnant condition and He is carrying us through.

Go and FLOURISH!

With love,

Alvezido