"It Doesn't Have to Feel Good to Be Good"

This title is a statement of Lysa Terkeurst from First 5, a quickie digital interactive devotional.  Ho, how I can identify with this statement.  I certainly did not come to that realization during the painful process though.  Lysa's statement is truly one of the faith's stances that one has to take if he/she is going to be victorious in the faith walk that God has assigned us. 
  
During my painful faith walk, my thought about "good" meant more of a "happily ever after".  How is that for foolish?  I wrestled with God...my wrestle not His, over Romans 8:28 and the word, good.  In the process of it being good, I felt robbed, felt like a mere pawn on the chessboard of life, and felt unloved.  I could not reconcile good with all of the pain that I felt and even the TRUTHS that I did know from Scripture.  As I hunkered down in the Word, and began to be more desperate for a deepening relationship with Father God, my heart could begin to see the good whether I felt it or not.  Of course, this is a heart area and this is where satan (I refuse to capitalize his name) loves to set up beachheads in our lives.  This is where we can either build thicker and higher walls thinking we are protecting our hearts or we can just offer the pain to God by obedience and faith, and ask HIM to fill it with love and trust for HIM, ALONE!

I am in process of continual learning that there are several of my "situations" that just don't feel good and now I know, as a fact, that my Father is not committed to the premise of my comfort and my emotions! (The real deal is that HE loves me and is committed to me.)  Another learning curve which has been more circular than a curve!  Some situations can be long, and this is where God chooses that I am going to build stamina in HIM and not in "guttin' it out"! I praise HIM that I am learning and that HE, ALONE, is ever faithful.




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