Your Facebook Status Makes Me Want To Punch You!

Tired...
Depressed...
Sick...
Kids are driving me nuts...
Money is tight...

I am so sick of seeing these Facebook status updates.  Does everyone need to know that you are having a rotten day?  I see these so many more times than I see people actually say positive things.  Maybe your life is sucking because you refuse to speak words of life into your situation, and maybe things are tough now because God is beginning a new work in you.

Look at this:

Genesis 50:22-26
²² Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years ²³ and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.
 ²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." ²⁵ And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."
 ²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Joseph had a bad day or two.  He was sold into slavery at a young age.  He was separated from his family for the majority of his life.  He was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.  He lived through a horrible drought.  Joseph knew crap from c to p.

Joseph always worked hard and kept his focus on what God was calling him to.  He knew the vision that God had given him and he was not willing to give up on the vision.  Joseph had periods of great provision and favor, but it was often met with tremendous difficulty.   Doesn't it appear that Joseph was being prepared for the moment when God needed his man to be in position for a history altering event.

What would have happened if Joseph had been too depressed to do what God had prepared him to do?  Joseph would have never stayed in Egypt.  The Pharaoh would have never enslaved the Israelites.  Moses would have never delivered the Israelites out of bondage.  Joseph would have never led them into the Promised Land.  See a pattern here.  God never "lucks" in to being fortunate.  God always has the plan.  Not a plan b or plan c, but THE PLAN.  God is always at work putting people in places to make His will occur in accordance with His divine purpose.

Let's agree on this...God is always working.  If we can't agree on that, then it is best that you stop reading.  God never wants us to remain static.  Notice how water, when it is moving, is vibrant and fresh, but when it is still and isolated it becomes a breading ground for impurities and disease.  We aren't that much different.  When we are moving with His purpose we are still going to pick up bad things along the way, but we will be able to leave those things behind while not forgetting the lessons that we learn from the event.  When we stop moving and stop putting ourselves in a position to do the things that God calls us to (like going to Church - side note - How are you going to hear God when you refuse to attend Church because it is inconvenient for you, or, you are angry with someone at church, or you are tired, or you can't get your kids to obey, or whatever lame excuse you are shoveling this week) then we will become a breeding ground for sin.

Since we agree that God is always working why do we live thinking that everything is supposed to be fine?  Often church leaders have told us that once we get saved we will have smooth sailing the rest of the way unless we bring it on ourselves.  This is a huge lie.  This is the excuse that leaders use went they are unable to pinpoint the cause of all the suckitude (patent pending Eric Malone, 2010) in your life ( I guess it is easier than tell people to just go to Breakthrough Church).  When Jesus was on the earth He got crucified, and He is God.  What makes you think that everything should be easy for you?  God wants to make you into more, and that requires difficulty from time to time.  Malachi 3:2 says, "But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap."  Refining gold requires a temperature just shy of 1950 deg F.  The refining process requires high heat in order to make sure that impurities are removed.  Many times God has to turn up the temperature to make us into all he has called us to be.  The junk that is present in all of our pasts requires removal.  His refining will make us all better prepared for service, and His service should be all of our goals.

Sure we all have days we would rather forget.  To be completely honest I have had months and years like that, but sometimes it isn't about God trying to teach us as much as it is an attack that comes from the enemy.  Getting on Facebook and complaining is the type of thing that Satan would love for us to do because he knows that we a drawing focus away from God, and placing the focus on ourselves.  Our woe is me attitude never brings God glory.  Through greater maturity we can begin to tell the difference between God testing us versus the enemies attacks.

Let's stop acting like the world and truly become salt and light.  The world complains when things don't go their way like they are a petulant child, but when we as Christians do the same thing we are offending the Heart of God.  Think twice before the words you speak and type are put out into the world for all to see.