The Process: Part Two

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:3-5 NLT

In my previous post I talked about how I believe God is a God of processes. Sometimes when He wants us to learn a lesson or grow he takes us through a process. I believe there are two key components to the process: to reveal and remove. 

When we go through something difficult or hard, God uses that situation to reveal things to us in our lives. He uncovers our emotions and past and peels us back like the layers of an onion. The deeper we dig into the Lord the more we reflect back the person we are suppose to be. In James 1, verse 23 it says that when we look intently into the Word of God it is like looking into a mirror. 

So many people deal with the issue of "Who am I?" or "What am I here for?" and "What is God's will for my life?" But so many people fail to realize that the Bible holds the answers to all these questions. His word is living and active and to each person that opens it up and asks the Lord to speak to them...HE WILL! 

Ask the Lord through whatever process you are going through right now to reveal things to you that perhaps you haven't seen before. There are things revealed that you won't like, things that make you uncomfortable, things that make you cringe and want to stop looking. But also know there is a reflection of things that are good, things that are encouraging and the person you were created to be begins to come out. 

I believe there is a person inside each of us with untapped potential, a person we never knew existed if we didn't ask the Lord to reveal that person to us. We allow our past, our actions and our circumstances to define us. We allow society to tell us who we are suppose to be. We forget all too often that we are called to be set apart, light to this world, a city on a hill! So stop letting this world bog you down with expectations that are impractical and burdensome. Allow the person God created you to be: strong, courageous, fearless, and bold to flow in and out of you and His freedom will flow through you into others. That confident faith will be a magnet attracting other people to inquire what it is that makes you different!

The second part of the process that comes after the reveal, is to remove. These uncomfortable things that I spoke of before are the things that need to be removed such as: poor self-esteem, negative thoughts, poor habits, addictions, sinful behaviors, and the list goes on. You will know what needs to go, for everyone it is different.  

If we are looking into God's Word like a mirror then let's imagine what we see. We might be having a good hair day and let's say that represents a good attitude. We may even be rocking an awesome new outfit we got for Christmas and let's say that represents the fact that we woke up and had our quiet time and feel ready to face the day. Except there is this one thing...a giant zit on our nose! Perhaps this might represent unforgiveness towards a friend or family member, this will hinder us from making an impact in God's kingdom. If we have things in our lives revealed to us and we don't remove them. We cannot expect to have much impact for the Lord, it will truly be a stumbling block and a hindrance to moving forward in our walk with Him. 

Don't be content to settle. Don't sit back and think this process is just another round of bad luck for you. Don't sit there and say "Woe is me! Why does everything bad keep happening to me?" I like to relate it to the person who complains that they are stuck in traffic on the way home from work. Don't complain! Be glad you were not the person involved in the wreck in the first place! That person could have been going 90 miles an hour and missing their warning signs to slow down before they crashed. Take the setbacks in life as your caution signs, SLOW DOWN. See what God is trying to reveal and remove through that process. 

I love this song "Shepherd" by Bethel. It is our theme song for this two part series I am calling "The Process" Here are some of the lyrics:

In the process
In the waiting
You're making melodies over me
And your presence
is the promise
For I am a pilgrim on a journey

You will lift my head above the mighty waves
You are able to keep me from stumbling
And in my weakness
you are the strength that comes from within
Good shepherd of my soul
Take my hand and lead me on

You make my footsteps and my path secure
So walking on water is just the beginning
Cause my faith to arise, stand at attention
For You are calling me to greater things