1237) Recently, I heard that those in the mental health field are audited frequently to help ensure all is running well and no violations are occurring. Then, I was surprised to hear that if there were only a few incident reports with those who are struggling mentally; the auditors saw this as a red flag. Why? I would think it would be a good thing to have only a handful of times when someone in crisis lashed out, causing damage emotionally and even physically, but this is not the case. If someone is working with people who are emotionally ill, there should be incidents that arise; it’s only natural. These reports give the mental profession credibility because there will often be incidents of dangerous behavior.

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 that he was treated outrageously and suffered under the hand of those in Philippi. These words give credibility to Paul’s statements. Why? Because it is rare (or nonexistent) that people will always receive the word of God positively. The very fact that Paul describes his difficulties with others gives him credibility.

A powerful spiritual testimony is not one that describes only victories; instead, it is one that reflects the difficult life we have on this earth.