Physical pain, Spiritual gain

[YounginHope]

So often (if not always) a problem or enduring pain in this physical life is an indication somethings changing or needing to be changed in your Spiritual walk. It happens to everyone and often. Sometimes it's not hardly noticeable and other times it shakes you to your core. But every time it opens a pathway to growth. I'm in awe when God gives me the opportunity to see it playing out in my life before my eyes. I think it's part of praying and God granting understanding about these things. If your dealing with something in your life in the physical realm whether it be at work, your spouse, or some kind of pain you better believe that it's also playing out in your spirit as well. And the good news is that both are used to further you on the path to a closer walk with God. We just usually think we had a bad day (or good one) when really we are having growing pains. And sometimes it's the only way we will change. And change is exactly what we need or trust me our kind, gentil, loving, and always merciful God would prevent us from ever seeing troubling times. Too often we fail to see what we are missing or we take our eye that is supposed to be single off of Him and place it on something else. Often we are not even aware we are doing this until it's already done. We feel as if we are doing what we can to have a walk with God. We did the same thing today as yesterday. Isn't that good enough? No. We are to be ever changing. We are the clay, not a finished vessel. And Jesus is the potter. And we never want him to take His hands off of us. But if we were finished, He would have no reason to continue molding and shaping us into what He desires us to be. See, that is where we are missing it when we start thinking we know what God has in store for us. Or that we know what we need and that our desires are Gods desires. And mercy is handed out here, too, when after we do all we can to see our desires play out instead of His we see that His desire for our life is much sweeter than what we wanted anyway. How patient is our God! He treats us like we are an only child that He's waited a lifetime to have and looks at us as if we never made a mistake, every time. Could you be mean or harm your own tiny little beautiful baby that you waited for ever for? God sees you as that baby once you become His. He loves you like that but even more. Let the desires of God play out in your life. Let Him make your path straight. It's what Paul did and was talking about 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
So Paul would rather have problems knowing God would see him through than to be free from trouble with the possibility of forgetting God. That's a big thing. Know what your asking when you desire to be close to God. You may think your ready but change is the only way. We think we see clearly that this path we walk is leading us to God and sometimes we are wondering around blindly. God will straighten your path if you don't resist and can see what's going on. We often began to fight against it at first not knowing change is needed. Gods not working against you, He's working on you, for you. Pray for understanding. Pray for knowledge.

I don't expect everyone here will agree with most of this. It is my experience and story dealing with severe lower back pain for a few years and realizing even this pain has a purpose?