Don't Miss Sorrow's Transformation

S - 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT): "For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death."

O - Sorrow is what we don't want and cannot avoid.  Even the most careful life will have sorrow thrust upon it.  Then of course, there's the sorrow that we do inflict upon ourselves.  Sometimes knowingly and oft times unknowingly; but the result is the same, sorrow (luvph: sorrow, pain, grief, annoyance, affliction; of persons mourning). The scripture (God's written voice) is telling us that in sorrow of all kinds God is purposeful.  He is working everything for good, not just every good thing for the good.  Ultimately we won't be able to prevent all sorrow but we do possess the determining factor in how our sorrows end.  What makes the difference is our response to the sorrow regardless of its source.  Repentance (literally the changing of our minds) is the key. If I change my mind and believe that God is working for the good and will be purposeful in this, then my life's course is altered.  I turn from anything or anyone leading me away from God AND turn into him and all that he is and is doing.  Since he is life, this repentance is all about life and he will ensure that life is the end of the difficulty.  Thus the sorrow ends without regret even if it started so full of regret that it was spilling out of every pour of our existence. By turning into him instead of death, it ends in life; instead of hurt, it ends in help.

A - To quote Jesus, if the Scriptures are true and cannot be broken (and it is so), then this one is a doozy.  Sorrow, which is so painful, debilitating, brutal and toxic can be transformed into that which is helpful and life producing.  The real player in this awesome metamorphosis is God for whom nothing is impossible, too difficult or too wonderful.  Yet I am the decider in how it ends.  Well, this season has produces a fairly serious and long-term amount of sorrow.  God is working it, will I work with him?  I don't have to work it for him.  I'm not the changer of circumstance, I'm the "truster" through it.  I am the one changing my thinking so that I'll be in alignment with all that he is doing in and through the sorrow. Instead of wondering what's gone wrong I am to be the one wondering how great all this will be when the Lord is finished working it for good.

P - Lord who loves us and a challenge,

I re-present myself and my sorrow to you.  I want to work with you in it and see it become everything you intend … every good and perfect thing which will produce life in me and cause your life to flow through me.  Lord, enable me in my tired and frayed humanity to repent … to change my mind and bring my thoughts, heart and actions into alignment with you and your will on earth.  Lord, I welcome your will here like they do in heaven … completely, trustingly and with joy.

In them,

Steve