In Case of Emergency – Stay The Course - Friday


Today’s Verse

1 Peter 5:10

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (ESV)


Most kids have a stubborn streak, but we had one kid whose stubbornness could test the limits of any parent. We have plenty of stories of her stubbornness, but it was on full display when we tried to teach her to ride a bike. 

She was doing great and on track to take off her training wheels, but she decided she did not want them removed. That’s when a years-long standoff began between her and my husband (I won’t comment on his stubbornness). He took the training wheels off anyway and she refused to ride her bike—for years! By the time she finally caved so she could ride with her siblings, it only took about 2 seconds for her to realize she was fine without training wheels. 

Sometimes what we perceive as trials, suffering, or hardship is God preparing us. Hard does not always equal bad—even when it’s not fun. Resilience and reliance on God are developed as we practice trusting him, not when we stubbornly try to avoid doing hard things. 

God uses our trials and hard times to grow us. It often grows competence and resilience, but mostly God wants to grow your faith—your faith that He is “an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NIV), your faith that “He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 46:1, NIV), and your faith, “that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31, ESV). 

Even though we know that life can be hard, God never meant for us to tackle life alone!

At Southland, we believe that living out the mission God has called us to happens best within the framework of what we call the triangle. The three parts of this triangle are living life with Jesus, in community, and on mission. (You can learn more here.) This is where we can experience true unity and encouragement to face the trials ahead.


REFLECTION

Consider joining up with others on the same mission to love God and love people by joining a group! Check out available groups at southland.church/groups.


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The Rebel’s Guide – Get An Imperfect Job - Monday

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In Case of Emergency – Stay The Course - Thursday