5 PAINFUL TRUTHS THAT WILL BRING YOU CLOSER TO GOD

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In our often challenging, yet ultimately rewarding, journey to grow spiritually and become ever closer to our Lord God, there are certain uncomfortable, even painful truths that we absolutely must confront with honesty and humility. These truths, though they may initially prick our pride or expose our weaknesses, are divinely intended to help us grow, to mature in Christ, and to draw us ever nearer to God. Embracing them, rather than recoiling from them, can lead us to deeper spiritual growth, stronger unwavering faith, and a far more intimate personal relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. Let’s explore these five often painful, yet profoundly beneficial truths that can bring you significantly closer to our God.

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 7:18, writes with stark, Spirit-inspired honesty:

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

This profound realization is a truly painful, yet absolutely essential truth. Our flesh, our fallen Adamic sinful nature, does not, and cannot, in itself, contain anything truly good in God’s sight. Although the precious Spirit of God now dwells in our hearts as born-again believers, we still face the relentless, daily struggles of the flesh that constantly seeks to lead us away from God and His perfect will.

James 1:13-15 powerfully emphasizes that temptation does not originate from God, Who cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. Rather, temptation arises from our own desires, our own lusts, which are resident in our fallen flesh:

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

It is our own fleshly desires that so often lead us into sin. This humbling truth challenges us to continually acknowledge that we are inherently sinful and weak in our flesh and we must therefore be ever vigilant against the allure of temptations. You may think, in your own strength or self-confidence that you can resist certain temptations on your own, but the sober truth is, you cannot reliably depend on your own strength or willpower.

For example, some people naively believe they can frequently go to a bar or a worldly establishment and “just hang out” with friends without indulging in drinking or other sinful activities. But as the old saying wisely goes, if you consistently play with fire, you will eventually get burned. I vividly remember a friend from my youth who confidently declared that he would never get addicted to cigarettes, yet tragically, he became a chain smoker. This is the stark reality of our flesh—our inherent weakness needs to be honestly acknowledged and continually surrendered to God’s keeping power.

Romans 13:14 urges us: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.“

God, in His faithfulness, will always provide a way to escape temptation if we truly desire it (1 Corinthians 10:13), but we, for our part, need to be prayerfully intentional about avoiding situations, people, and influences that tempt us to feed our fleshly desires and weaken our spiritual resolve.

We all, as genuine believers, desire to grow spiritually, to become more like Christ, to experience deeper fellowship with God. However, many of us are sadly not willing to put in the consistent, sustained effort that is absolutely required to do so. The truth is, growing in the Spirit takes godly discipline. While it is gloriously true that the Holy Spirit leads us, guides us, and empowers us, we must consciously exercise our God-given free will to actively follow His leading and to cooperate with His sanctifying work in our lives. Spiritual growth does not happen automatically, it requires our active participation, our diligent effort, and our consistent spiritual discipline.

2 Timothy 2:15 instructs us: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

This verse clearly means that we must commit ourselves to diligently feeding our spirit through the consistent, prayerful study of the Word of God, through fervent, unceasing prayer, and through regular edifying fellowship with other true believers. These essential spiritual practices all require discipline, dedication, and consistency.

I am not sharing these truths to condemn you or to place a heavy burden upon you, but rather to awaken us all to the critical importance of prioritizing your spiritual growth. It is only through such godly discipline, undertaken in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, that we can truly grow closer to God and become spiritually mature and fruitful believers.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”

One of the hardest, most humbling truths for our proud human nature to accept is that our ways are not always the ways of God. In fact, very often, the pure Word of God will directly contradict the cherished beliefs, carnal opinions, and worldly thinking that we hold. One of the very first things that the Word of God does when it truly penetrates our hearts is to confront us with the often-painful reality of our own shortcomings, our sinful tendencies, and our deeply ingrained misconceptions (as Paul experienced in Romans 7:15, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”)

If the Word of God never challenges you, never convicts you, never makes you feel uncomfortable with your current spiritual state, then something is seriously wrong. True spiritual growth comes from humbly allowing God’s Word to correct us, reprove us, and instruct us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Most especially when it is deeply uncomfortable or goes against our natural inclinations. If you never see yourself as a sinner in desperate need of God’s ongoing grace and mercy, even after being born-again, then perhaps you have not yet truly experienced the depths of our Lord’s ongoing work of sanctification.

The Lord Jesus Christ must be the undisputed Lord of our lives, not just our Savior. If He is truly our Lord, then we must be willing to follow Him obediently, even when it means humbly admitting that we were wrong, that our thinking was flawed, or that our desires were ungodly. If He is our Lord, then He should be our Master. He should be above anything else in our lives.

The ways of the Lord, His thoughts and His plans, do not always align with our own selfish desires or human-centric ideas, which is precisely why deep and genuine humility is absolutely essential for a growing Christian. When we recognize our errors, our sins, our shortcomings, we should be quick to admit them, both to God and when necessary, to others, and earnestly ask for forgiveness and cleansing.

It’s important to understand that, in our current fallen state, it is sadly “natural” for us to sin, as we are not yet perfected and still possess a sinful flesh. What is far more concerning, however, is our unwillingness to ask for forgiveness, a refusal to admit our wrongs, or our proud, defensive attitude when confronted with our sin. A genuine, thriving relationship with God absolutely requires us to humble ourselves continually before Him, honestly admit our faults, and constantly seek His abundant mercy and transforming grace.

God, in His infinite wisdom, never intended for us to walk in our spiritual journey alone or in isolation. We are divinely called to be an integral part of the body of Christ, and the body can only function effectively, grow healthily and fulfill its God-given purpose when all its individual parts are working together in unity and love. Hebrews 10:25 strongly encourages us not to neglect the vital practice of meeting together as believers:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

True, biblical fellowship is absolutely crucial for our spiritual growth, our encouragement, and our strength in the Lord. The Bible clearly teaches that we are the Church, the “Ekklesia” or “the called-out ones.” And the Church will truly exist and thrive when believers gather together in genuine unity, centered around the truth of God’s Word. Significant spiritual growth often happens in the fertile context of a loving, supportive, Word-based community. When we gather together, that is also the time when we encourage one another, share our burdens, pray for one another and collectively grow in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord.

It’s also critically essential to have godly friends around you, brothers and sisters in Christ who share the same faith, the same values, and the same commitment to holiness. Such friends will uplift you, pray for you, hold you accountable in love and genuinely encourage you in your daily walk with God. One of the primary ways God supports us during times of trial and temptation is through the timely encouragement, practical help, and Christ-like love of fellow believers. Do not isolate yourself from the community of faith—genuine, biblical fellowship is an indispensable part of true spiritual growth and perseverance in Christ.

This particular truth might be the hardest and most painful for many of us in this modern, self-absorbed generation to truly accept and internalize. We live in a culture that relentlessly promotes self-centeredness, self-fulfillment (often defined in worldly terms), and self-glorification. But the profound, liberating truth of Scripture is this: life is not ultimately about you. Yes, God cares deeply and intimately about you as an individual, and He is tenderly concerned with your needs and your well-being. But you were created by Him and for Him, for a glorious purpose that goes far beyond your own personal comfort, happiness, or ambition. You are here on this earth, for this brief season, primarily to glorify God and to be a light and a blessing to others.

Ministers of the Gospel, for example, are called by God to be servants—not celebrities, nor business executives, nor motivational speakers seeking personal fame. We are called to humbly serve God’s precious people, to faithfully care for the flock He has entrusted to us, to earnestly pray for the sick and the afflicted, and to compassionately reach out to the lost with the saving message of the Gospel. True ministry is not about gaining fame, accumulating wealth, building personal empires, or seeking human recognition; it is all about selflessly serving others and consistently pointing them to the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a sad and grievous thing to see some preachers today living in ostentatious luxury while many of the people they are supposed to serve struggle to make ends meet. This should not be so among those who claim to follow the meek and lowly servant of all. Ministry is not a mere career path or a position of worldly power—it is a sacred, sacrificial calling to serve others in the name and spirit of Christ. As true servants of Christ, we must consciously and continually put aside our own selfish ambitions and carnal desires and live solely to do God’s perfect will.

When our Lord Jesus prayed in the agonizing moments of the Garden of Gethsemane, His heartfelt cry was, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). This must be our prayer as well, in every situation and circumstance of life. We must decrease so that Christ may increase in and through us. Our ultimate goal should always be to lift up the truth of God’s Word and the person of Christ, not ourselves or our own ministries.

If you truly want to make a lasting, eternal impact in this world then humbly and selflessly serve others. True, abiding joy and deep, lasting fulfillment come not from self-seeking, but from giving yourself completely to God and living to fulfill His divine purpose for your life. Our children, the people we serve in our churches and communities, the lost souls around us—they are all here for a reason, and God has a specific purpose and plan for each one of them. We are called to serve them, to love them, and to be a shining light of Christ to them.

These five often painful, yet profoundly necessary truths are not always easy to accept or to live out consistently. But they are absolutely essential for our genuine spiritual growth and for the deepening of our personal relationship with God. The sobering reality that nothing good dwells in our flesh continually reminds us of our desperate, daily need for God’s amazing grace. The discipline required for spiritual growth challenges us to be intentional, diligent, and persevering in our walk with God. Recognizing that our ways are not always God’s ways keeps us humble, teachable, and willing to be corrected by His Word. True fellowship with other believers is essential for our encouragement, support, and mutual edification. And finally, humbly accepting that life is not ultimately about us frees us to joyfully and selflessly serve others for the glory of God.

When we, by God’s enabling grace, embrace these foundational truths, we will inevitably draw closer to God, become more spiritually mature and Christ-like, and begin to truly fulfill the wonderful, eternal purpose He has uniquely ordained for each of our lives. Amen.