We should be careful as we grow and learn in life.
We may be calling for God to take a thorn out of our side because it is holding back our progress, and we cannot understand why God would allow this to happen if He wants us to improve as people, and He wants our life to improve.
One of the reasons I often suggest that we analyse our own life from time to time, or at regular intervals is because the thorn may be you. We need to keep a close eye on our own behaviour and be honest about what we see and how we behave.
When you think about it…
It could be you that is holding back your own life, you just don’t know it yet.
It may be you who refuses to move.
I may be you who is stubborn, prideful and opinionated.
It may be you who is holding your life back from moving forward, and if that is the case the your life will not improve.
If we really want to win a marathon, or even complete a marathon, we have to do the hard yards. We have to sweat, feel the pain, pound the paths to success. Success won’t come easy, there are many to beat, and many who are very determined to beat you. It won’t be easy. But we still want the goal.
Self improvement should be like that. It should be something that we eagerly put our life on the line for, something we desire with all our heart and soul.
In our life there are many temptations to pass by, and many things to overcome before we will find the success that we wish for. Like running for long distances, or any other exercise, self-evaluation can be a long hard task and it may cause much emotional pain and agony, as we discover who we really are and what our life currently really is.
The runner has to eat healthy foods and drink healthy drinks, and not abuse himself by abusing drugs or alcohol (or later on they will pay for this health wise), or smoking cigarettes.
Self improvement is about good reading, good entertainments, no bad people in our lives, and striving for a good wholesome life and a caring, loving family.
If you don’t like what you see when you honestly look at your life right now then get to it, change your life. But for God’s sake and your sake, please don’t just ignore your current unhappiness and let it continue unchanged.
We must understand that we don’t have to live in a miserable state, we can be happy, and we can create for ourselves a happy life. To do this we must have faith and act.
And in some cases we will find that those we have been trusting are the very enemies trying to pull us down from success and happiness. They are the ones who tell us that we can’t do it and that we shouldn’t according to their limited views.
Be brave, be strong and be honest with yourself about your life and who and what you are.
But also be gentle with yourself, and give yourself the love and encouragement that you need to carry on. You were not born for any soul to abuse or use you. You were not born for you to abuse you either. Encourage yourself.
If the thorn in your side is you, and you do something about what is wrong in your life then you will grow positively from the experience and you will respect and love yourself more for having the guts to do what needed doing, and pleased that unlike many others, you had the courage to make it happen!
*
– James M Sandbrook.