Bring it! 2 Timothy 3:10-17

I went through a lot of verses today, I wanted to write on gifts, or love, or patience; but this is what came out instead....

BRING IT!!!!!

2 Timothy 3:10-13

"You've been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience, troubles, sufferings-suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up with in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. And you also well know that God rescued me! Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse."

This makes me laugh, I can not help but realize how true it is. As followers of Christ we ask for it! The prayer for accepting Christ should be ended with "Bring it on satan! I can take it because I have Christ on my side!" I was talking with some beautiful, skinny, smart, sassy women today about how frustrating it can be when you think you have done exactly what God has asked of you & yet it seems like you just can't win! It was said by a wonderful woman who is much wiser than me that if that was true, if all it took was doing good and trying to do what God wanted than children would never get cancer, children would never suffer. So dang true! What did they do to deserve that suffering? NOTHING! That's the point, we aren't being punished, God doesn't allow us to go through things because we told that lie, because we broke a commandment. No, we go through that suffering because satan hates that we love Jesus so much! And if that's the case I appreciate the suffering I went through because it means satan is threatened by my love for Jesus, by what God has planned for me! 


2 Timonthy 13-17
"But don't let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers -why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us."

Yeah! Don't let it faze you! Pick yourself up and brush off that hurt, that shame, that hopelessness. You know why? Because Jesus Christ is our Savior! Because the Bible IS sacred scripture & each word is God-breathed! Because no matter what satan throws at us, what the world throws at us, whatever trials we go through, we go through them because we asked for it! We said "BRING IT!"  


I can honestly say I do not know a true Christian out there that would give up God so that they would never be tested. The gift of knowing Jesus is so precious and so amazing that it is worth it. So worth it! I mean honestly look back on that hardest moment you have ever had to go through, go to that low, dark place where satan dragged you into the pits of depression and you honestly did not want to go on, think of that pain... Now, think of a mountain top experience that you have had with God, it doesn't even have to be the best one, just an amazing experience that let you know God was there. Isn't that deep, dark hurt so worth the amazing, fantastic, wonderful love God gives? I know it is for me!


My relationship with God is not perfect by any means. I struggle with a lot of things, I forget that I am not the one in charge and try to take control, sometimes I think I am big man on campus and forget to let God lead me. However, the best part of God is he loves me anyways! He laughs at my hurry to get to the next step in life, he rolls his eyes at my foolishness and he is such a great Daddy that he lets me run ahead sometimes. But, when I trip in that hole that I didn't see because I was in too big of a hurry to follow, he is there to catch me. Sometimes he even lets me fall, and I skin my knee, but he always scoops me up and kisses my boo-boo. He never leaves me! He never gives up on us! He never ever stops loving us, his love does not lessen because we didn't obey, he loves us the same no matter how stupid we are! and THANK GOD for that!

So, in conclusion I am not asking for another trial! I really want to enjoy this living thing again! However, when I look back on this trial, and all the others I have gone through I can appreciate them. I can see that it probably wasn't because I was sinning, there wasn't necessarily something I needed to correct, it may have been because I am a threat! Because my love for Jesus scares satan and I just have to say that is pretty cool! And when I get the chance to lead someone to Jesus Christ again I am definitely adding a "BRING IT! I CAN HANDLE IT! I HAVE JESUS CHRIST ON MY SIDE!"