No matter what?

Sunday morning the pastor had chosen a passage that seemed like an unlikely way to illustrate a point. As he progressed, he showed us how all of God’s Word is relevant at all times and is food for our souls. The topic was based on a question his young son had asked him: Will God really love us forever? (No matter what?)

The pastor’s third point hit home. He was speaking of three misconceptions we have of God. The third one being: God’s love means He will never discipline us or allow pain into our lives. This is a misconception that I was lost in for about a year. I was in a great deal of physical pain, leading to emotional pain, and I was spiraling down.

In fact, I said on several occasions “I would never allow my daughter to suffer like this; and I’m His daughter.” And then I let in the lie that satan loves to hang over our heads: it must be my fault, I’m not good enough, not worth loving.

What’s strange about that period of time was that I knew my thinking was wrong. I knew the Bible verses that indeed say God disciplines us, we will suffer in this world, etc. Somehow, I believed that none of that pertained to me. And then when it did, I could not fathom the why.

Pain has a way of distorting our emotions, our thoughts, our beliefs, our outlook – and it often interrupts when we least expect it.

The pastor referred to a quote he had read: “Sometimes the most loving thing you can do as a parent is disappoint your child.” If we saved our children from every bad, wrong, hard thing in the world and made sure they never knew disappointment, they would not grow to be men and women. They would linger in immature selfishness. What a rude awakening the world would be.

Since mid-2022 I have grown in ways I didn’t know I needed to grow. These changes would not have happened in any other way. Again, it is proven true, the Lord works all things for the good of those who love Him.

On the other side of struggles and trials we see more clearly. The Holy Spirit has worked change in me. I have eyes that see differently, a more compassionate heart, and a deeper longing for the truths of the Bible. On hard days I still stumble around a bit, wanting the perfection of eternity without experiencing the results of this fallen world.

Don’t let the lies lead you to believe God won’t love you forever. He always has, always will love you. Enough that He will lead you through the valleys and the heights. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38 NLT)