Not Success but Refining

yesterday in class, we had Dr. Archibald D. Hart, the Senior Professor of Psychology at Fuller Seminary. super smart dude. really "hip" for a 60-70 year old man. he was awesome. he gave a cool lecture and i really liked what he had to say.

along the lines of what he said was:

GOD IS NOT IN THE SUCCESS BUSINESS, HE IS IN THE REFINING BUSINESS.

love this because it true and we forget this. how many times do we pray to God about how you want to do well on a test, or you want a situation handled, or you want something really, really bad? and when you don't perform well or something is not a success we are are like "what the heck God? where were you at?" God is not here for your success, he is here to refine you. to break you down and change who you are at the core, so there is a new person that comes out of tough situations. a person who is more centered on Him than before.

if you think God is here for success you got the wrong idea about God and you will be broken down and refined harder than anyone else.

IN THE EYES OF GOD THERE ARE NO FAILURES, BUT FORCED GROWTH.

wow. that's what we are so worried about. failing. we don't want to fail, it makes us look bad. when someone does something incredibly stupid, what does every yell? "oooooooooooh! epic FAIL!" no one likes that. the idea that in God's eyes there is no failure, only forced growth, that is encouraging. every time we fail to do something, it helps us grow in some way, shape or form. failure forces us to grow, helps us learn from our mistakes. we can take this idea in our faith journey. it is encouraging.

random fact: The costume for the Cowardly Lion in the popular Wizard of Oz film was made from two real lion skins, and it weighed in at over 50 pounds. To ensure the actor didn't suffocate, the lights would be turned off and the soundstage doors opened for fresh air every half hour while he was on set. He claimed it was like "working inside a mattress.