You're being tested for a reason!

Dear Friends-

Over the last two weeks, I have been reminded of some important lessons.

I've been praying for change for a long time and now I understand why certain things remain the same. No matter how much you pray, God doesn't change your situation for your benefit, He blesses you based on His purpose for your life. As a matter of fact, the Lord will use specific people and situations to build your areas of weakness until He's ready to bless you.

If you've been arguing with your spouse about the same issue since you got married or your relationships are filled with drama, there's a reason. The other person (or situation) was sent to test your areas of weakness and you've been asking God to change things and make life easier. God doesn't work that way.

If you pray for more patience, He will send people and situations who will tax your patience heavily! If you've been praying for your spouse to change so that you can grow closer, guess what? He or she is waiting for you to change too (and things keep getting worse in the meantime).

Dear Friends, we can't ask the Lord to make our situations easier. It's up to us to see things from God's perspective and act with obedience to His word. Ask Him to give you the grace to be better and then do your part to be better!

Your blessing will come from your obedience.

Be well,

Karen

Galatians 5

⁷You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? ⁸That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." ¹⁰I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. ¹¹Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹²As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

¹³You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature^[a]; rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."^{[b] 15}If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Life by the Spirit

¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.