Uncomfortable Grace

God will take us where we have not intended to go to produce in us what we could not achieve on our own. Listen, we had better begin to encourage and comfort and teach one another with the theology of uncomfortable grace. Because often on this side of eternity, God's grace comes to us in uncomfortable ways. Oh I long for the grace of relief and I long for the grace of release. But right now what I actually need is the grace of refinement. I need to be changed. I need to be transformed. I need to become a person of faith. That means everything I do is based on a deep and abiding belief that God is and that He's loving and He's glorious and He's kind and He's powerful and I find hope and rest in Him and Him alone. That's what I need to become. 

So in love, He will take me beyond my wisdom, beyond my strength, beyond the bounds of my character. That's not God forgetting me. That's not God beating me up. That's not God being unfaithful or inattentive. The Bible calls that grace. I'm being rescued. I'm being restored. I'm being loved. I'm being changed. He loves me and He will not turn from His work and He will continue and continue and continue until that work is complete. That's grace.

Paul D Tripp (The Difference Between Amazement and Faith)

I’ve been think a lot about this. Sometimes the really hard things that come our way in this life is God’s grace. He is allowing these things in order to refine us. He uses them to show us the idols our hearts are holding on to.

I don’t know about you but I agree with Paul Tripp, I need to be transformed. I need to changed. I need my faith to be stronger, deeper and richer. So if this is what I need isn’t it then God’s grace that brings those things in my life that will help strip away all that keeps me from growing?

Isn’t it His grace, albeit an uncomfortable grace, that allows whatever it takes to expose the idols, sins and wrong attitudes that keep us from being conformed to His image?

What do you think? Are you experiencing an uncomfortable grace? What is God showing you through it?