Ever Feel? - June 6, 2008

Ever feel like you're trying to please everyone but the Lord? There's a situation that I've been struggling with. I want to protect those that I love while at the same time knowing that I need to place them in the Lord's hands. I know that this situation is TOTALLY separate from me and doesn't even involve my nuclear family, and yet I still want to protect those I love from being hurt. However, the Lord is reminding me that He uses things that hurt us to help us to grow and learn more about HIS character and not ours. How can I deny my loved ones the chance to grow in HIM? My "protection" may not be truly beneficial for the ones I love. Instead it could hold them back. Seeking to please the Lord only involves my actions and communication that God and I share together. It has nothing to do with finding God's will for other people.