God's sovereignty does not negate our responsibility to pray, but rather makes it possible for us to pray with confidence.

God never wastes pain. He always uses it to accomplish his purpose. And his purpose is for his glory and our good. Therefore we can trust him when our hearts are aching or our bodies are racked with pain

We're more concerned about our own "victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve God's heart.

Bitterness arises in our hearts when we do not trust in the sovereign rule of God in our lives

Our duty is found in the revealed will of God in the Scriptures. Our trust must be in the sovereign will of God as He works in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives for our good and His glory.

We take what we think are the tools of spiritual transformation into our own hands and try to sculpt ourselves into robust Christlike specimens. But spiritual transformation is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit. He is the Master Sculptor

All pain we experience is intended to move us closer to the goal of being holy as He is holy.