Sometimes the only way God can keep us on the right path is to allow us to bang against walls of failure or pain until we understand that its all about Him and not about us. I am in a time where the Lord is working on me with issues of pride. I accepted that Hes happy with me where Im at in life, but shortly after finding contentment in my blessings came pride. I reasoned that the Lord must have me here because Im so good what I do and nobody else can handle it as well as I can. Reasoning can get us into trouble sometimes. Its good to be able to figure things out, but sometimes we are wrong. I certainly was, and life let me know it. I abruptly hit a season where I couldnt do anything right. I got sick and spent several months on antibiotics trying to fight two infections I couldnt seem to get rid of. I made embarrassing mistakes at work, on the very job that I had over six years of experience and proficiency at. My writing met with nothing but rejection, and my book sales dropped off. My life was literally one failure after another, and it didnt take me long to realize that I have no reason to boast about anything. After six months of feeling like a mouse running through a maze and hitting every dead end wall, I humbly acknowledged that its all about serving the Lord and not my ego, and only He can help me and keep me in the place where I belong.

I cant say that season is over for me, but at least Im trying to make progress in learning humility. I think we all struggle with this. We live in a world that tells us we can do anything with enough effort, so it hurts when God lets us falter in our efforts to remind us that we are sent for His purpose and not our own. I think comparing us to sheep is a very valid way to describe it, because we certainly wander off the path and have to be herded back from the wilderness often! Fortunately, we have a Lord that isnt afraid to do whats best for us, even if it hurts. Hed rather see our self-esteem smashed than lose us altogether.

Dont feel bad if the Lord is dealing with you about issues in your life. It doesnt mean youre a bad person, just that you need some fine-tuning and preparation for what lies ahead. Discipline is never an easy thing to deal with. Its embarrassing and it hurts, yet its the only way we can grow in the right direction. Despite popular belief, doing whats right doesnt always feel good. Quite the contrary it can hurt quite badly, and sometimes our only consolation is knowing that if we endure the pain now then we will enjoy the blessing later. Deferred rewards arent the most desirable in the short term, but they are usually the best when they finally come to pass.

We may be relegated to a spiritual corner for a time out here and there, but rest assured that it happens because God loves us and wants us to succeed. You can never screw up so badly that you forfeit your salvation. Indeed, if you believe in Christ then you can always be redeemed. While we live, the name of the game is progress. Perfection will only come in Heaven. So lets keep our eye on that goal and be content to work with Him, rejoicing over the progress were making every step of the way!