God's Purging/Discipline??

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Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#1
This isn't something I have much knowledge on, but I feel like I'm in a situation right now where I'm being purged?/Disciplined? by God - being put in 2 situations that I dislike.

Does this happen to all us born again Christians?

Does God do this to strengthen us?

Keen to hear your thoughts....
 

Adrianv125

Senior Member
Jan 17, 2011
567
12
18
#2
Yup, God will test our faith. All to do His perfect will and glorify Himself. Sometimes we won't understand circumstances, but when we see the results we then realize He did things for a purpose.

James 1:2-5
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him
 
H

Hearer

Guest
#3
2 Corinthians 7:9
yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.

So God does discipline us and make us troubled and sorrowful to lead us to repentance.
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
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#4
I had a feeling that the one incident yesterday was a test. I prayed several times before leaving the house that he would help me and keep me strong in that situation. I put my trust in him to be with me through it. It was a difficult situation and one that I guess he wanted me to get resolved?? - I feel better for having gone through it though.

The other incident happened last month when I was persecuted by my husband's family and we briefly broke up. I put my trust in God and prayed several times each day. I begged him for help through my grief. My relationship with my husband is now actually better than it used to be. Healing happened and things got shared with family members that needed to be shared (God wanted them to be shared). God also led me to call the last person I would've expected to call - someone who I've had difficult times with, but avoiding the person was sinning in God's eyes and it was a wake up call to me). He wanted me and my husband to have a better foundation with God being the foundation, and he started us off on a better foot together. My husband is Catholic but researching a lot about the wrong teachings of Catholicism. He's getting closer to the truth.
 
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Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
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#5
I just found this on the web.....

God uses suffering to reveal our spiritual condition...our spiritual character. God uses suffering to reveal our spiritual character. You really do not know the truth about someone spiritually when everything is going well, right? It doesn't surface because basically they appear to be at peace and happy and with a measure of joy and satisfaction and fulfillment in life because superficially and on the surface everything is okay. Then when things begin to go wrong, reality begins to surface as to their spiritual condition. And the worse things get, the more their spiritual character is un-bared. When you strip away the blessings, and you strip away the successes and you strip away the prosperity and you strip away the health and you begin to peel it all back, then you're going to find out what somebody is really made of spiritually.


WOW!!
 
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A

AnandaHya

Guest
#7
If you call God Abba, then you will be chasten and cleansed of all sins though even Paul says it is not enjoyable when it is happening but the end result is the peace of righteousness.

Hebrews 12

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:


“ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”[a]

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
 
H

Hearer

Guest
#8
But anyway, I am sorry that you are having a tough time/have had a tough time. Whatever the reason.

Romans 8
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
 
A

Abiding

Guest
#9
I love His strong hand on my life, even if it hurts becuase I dont know how to shape me the way He wants. And I love His attention :)
 
R

rainacorn

Guest
#10
This is a good thread. So often God gives us exactly what we don't want because it's exactly what we need. The whole thing about revelation is that we didn't know something and then it was revealed to us.

We are not at all qualified to determine what we need in life lol

It's a difficult thing to understand the lessons God is trying to teach us, but if we stay faithful and open, it can be revealed.
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#11
But anyway, I am sorry that you are having a tough time/have had a tough time. Whatever the reason.

Romans 8
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Thank you :) Its a wonderful feeling knowing that he loves us that much to discipline us :)
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#12
It's incredible how he does these things in our lives. It's like he's cleaning up our messes and raising us the way he wants us to be on earth.

So not only does God use suffering to reveal our spiritual condition, but also to bring us closer to him, to trust in him.

Amazing :)
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#13
This isn't something I have much knowledge on, but I feel like I'm in a situation right now where I'm being purged?/Disciplined? by God - being put in 2 situations that I dislike.

Does this happen to all us born again Christians?

Does God do this to strengthen us?

Keen to hear your thoughts....
The Lord needs to discipline us. Which one of us would obey all his commandments without some discipline—which one of us is perfect?
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#14
The Lord needs to discipline us. Which one of us would obey all his commandments without some discipline—which one of us is perfect?
Very true. I can see that he has plans for us all and he is guiding us in the direction he chooses. We may not like it at first (if it's a direction we start to fear or worry about), but we have to have faith in him that there is a reason for everything that's happening :)
 
L

Lifelike

Guest
#15
This isn't something I have much knowledge on, but I feel like I'm in a situation right now where I'm being purged?/Disciplined? by God - being put in 2 situations that I dislike.

Does this happen to all us born again Christians?

Does God do this to strengthen us?

Keen to hear your thoughts....
Nothing gets past God, He allows situations to come into our life. Sometimes it can be consequence to our actions other times its outside our control and God allows it to strengthen and mature us, to test our faith, show us where we are really at, and to help us develop. Something He has showed me recently is "Character devoloping situations" are only character developing if we learn to respond correctly in them. Its all about seeing where we are at, and where we have shortcomings and bad character, through responding in a way that is not pleasing to God, examining why we do certain things and respond certain ways, repent when we see we have believed incorrectly and learn what the word of God says, renew our minds so that we can think correctly and act in a way that honours God. We can go around the mountain many times and still not learn what we need to learn, and the quicker we learn the better for us lol. I think its more important to repent (turn away from, about face and walk the other way) of what we have believed rather than repent for the action that is based on the belief. Its like continually treating the symton of a disease rather than treating its root cause.
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#16
Nothing gets past God, He allows situations to come into our life. Sometimes it can be consequence to our actions other times its outside our control and God allows it to strengthen and mature us, to test our faith, show us where we are really at, and to help us develop. Something He has showed me recently is "Character devoloping situations" are only character developing if we learn to respond correctly in them. Its all about seeing where we are at, and where we have shortcomings and bad character, through responding in a way that is not pleasing to God, examining why we do certain things and respond certain ways, repent when we see we have believed incorrectly and learn what the word of God says, renew our minds so that we can think correctly and act in a way that honours God. We can go around the mountain many times and still not learn what we need to learn, and the quicker we learn the better for us lol. I think its more important to repent (turn away from, about face and walk the other way) of what we have believed rather than repent for the action that is based on the belief. Its like continually treating the symton of a disease rather than treating its root cause.
I can totally see what you're saying. I think if you turn away from the path you're being led on it will just prolong the journey, as you will have to face it eventually (because God will expect you to). Best to trust him the first time and get to the root cause, as you said. Super way of putting it.
 
A

Abiding

Guest
#17
He said He would glorify us and conform us into the image of His dear son......always read the fine print :)
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#18
Does anyone have any stories to share on this?
 

Katy-follower

Senior Member
Jun 25, 2011
2,719
155
63
#19
I believe God wants us to have faith in him and not have our own safety nets. God is the only way. There is no need for safety nets. If you need them, then you don't have faith in him. Safety nets can be anything like trusting in the traditions of men, who tell you that you need to do certain traditions or rituals to save yourself. Only God can save you, not man. No works can save us.

When we hit rough times in our lives, we need to have faith in him to help us through it. I'm learning that we will often be in situations that we don't like the look of, but God has plans for us and we need to trust in him. After a situation I have been through, I have come out thinking "that's why I had to go through that" and it was my sole trust in God that got me through and I understood the reasoning.