Yes George,
We all have the habit of "re-crucifying Jesus", without realizing the MEANING of Jesus words "It's Finished".
Before God helps you up, He WILL humble you down. Because you aren't HUMBLE until you been HUMBLED. I think we're all experiencing growing pains. That's why life hurts. It's all part of growing up. Here's what Paul noted in 2 Corinthians 1
2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
George, God has shown through His word the difference between the many called and few chosen. Everyone Grows old, very few grow up. Paul's wrote in 1 Corinthians 3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
I've been going through some stuff myself, reading about some of your "friends" hit the nail on the head as to what was happeing to me. Our dependace is to be on Jesus the Christ not just anybody. I think of a line in Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate"
"Put my faith in the people, and the people let me down. But I turn the other way and I carry on anyhow."
In spite of what I'm dealing with, I hope that the will of God comforts all of us on this forum as we learn to live one day at a time. I was told by a man who knew my Grandfather (on Dad's side of the family), Grandpa's words to him before he became a successfull entrepeneur.
"If you don't learn to slow down, you'll pass by more things that would have brought you joy that would balance out the things that catch up with you".
Grandpa died 3 years before I was born. Anyway, I hope God teaches you to focus on Him in the midst of your struggles.
Ches