Need Not Linger...

“God has brought pain in my life. But as I have surrendered to it, He has used the flames of hurt to burn away the parts that need not linger. Good has been in his mind from the beginning.” No Other Gods, Kelly Minter, p. 45.

…the parts that need not linger…WOW! Sometimes we read a word, phrase or thought that resonates in such a deep part of our soul it hurts. When I read these thoughts the realization of what has been burned away through my pain is staggering. We all wish to avoid the pain and suffering life brings but none of us can hide forever. We can run from painful situations and ignore our responsibilities in those circumstances but we cannot run from God. If we do not use the purpose-driven pain to grow and become more dependent on God, we will keep getting burned.

In my life, I have doused water on my pain over and over again but the fire would not go out. It wasn’t until I turned and faced the fire with surrender to God that the raging flames turned to warm embers reflecting God’s warmth and gentleness. A few of my ‘parts that need not linger’ have been the obsession to be a hero and save the day. It has included my sinful desire to receive credit for things that God did through me. I am tearful and embarrassed by these things that need not linger. With my regret however is my humble thankfulness to God that He has worked so hard in burning these things away no matter how much it hurt. I have been totally forgiven by a God that I can never out-sin.

Why is it that we polarize ourselves away from the very thing that will move us closer to Christ? Instead we should brace ourselves in Scripture and faith and embrace our privilege and opportunity to experience God on earth as we will in Heaven.

We must pray for God to remind us daily of our parts that need not linger so they will no longer attach themselves to the manner in which we live our lives.