God and your stony heart

Before we become Christians, God's rules can often feel restrictive. However, as we grow in our faith, they feel more and more like they were our idea in the first place. God's laws just work better. When obeyed, things work smoothly. When disobeyed, even the fun that disobedience brings is temporary and just not worth it.

Obviously, God works different ways with different people. Some people get saved and see an instant change. I've seen God work some real miracles. The page Ex-LGBT Through Jesus Christ, for example, often shares wonderful transformation stories. You can literally see the difference. Other people, God has different plans for. Sometimes, God is more glorified by our struggles than our actual victories. In both scenarios, God has one message for us: "My grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in weakness."

This is both scary and comforting. On the one hand, it's comforting, because you know that God will win. And if you love Him, you win with Him. But it's also scary, because you don't have a clue what kind of roller coaster He's about to take you on. If you're lucky, you might get a miracle. A near instant change of heart towards your biggest sin. But God may also have a journey for you. A war-torn path filled with battles to win. That heart of stone might require some chipping before it gets replaced. Can you relate? Even if you received such a miracle, I guarantee, if you're still breathing, God isn't finished with you yet. Therefore submit to Him, and let Him deal with you as He sees fit, especially in discipline after sin. We're on a narrow road, my brethren, but where it is leading us is far less bumpy.