Christianity is not the answer to your best life now, it isn't going to make you rich or famous or popular but it is going to prune you and grow you into a beautiful masterpiece. We may not be able to "see" the masterpiece through the struggle as we fight our flesh and sin every day. But one day we will see the beautiful work of His hands, the reason for the struggles the reason for the disappoints and the reasons we had to suffer for just a little while.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Over the last few months I have found myself in a "storm". The reasons why I can only speculate. He has created in me a heart that wants to meet every need, to fight for what is "right", and give of my heart, time, money and energy as much as I am able. I want to say YES to every opportunity and every need that presents itself...I desperately want to live for so much more. I believe we owe that to The One that gave everything for us.
God is constantly at work in our lives. The Spirit is always speaking to us, guiding and directing our paths...if we listen. Most of the time it is easier not to listen...because many times listening means things are going to change. The Spirit isn't there to be ignored, to be pushed to the back of our minds, or to be rationalized away. When we are not heeding the warnings of our hearts then that can create in us an uneasy spirit, a spirit that has no peace.
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." John 14:16-17
Peace is everything....peace means you are in His will for your life, you are exactly where He wants you. If you find yourself in a situation where there is no peace then that is not where you are supposed to be, remaining in that spot will mean disobedience. If it is not meant for YOU to be there...then someone else is supposed to be there and it is not you. So run....as fast as you can toward peace, because it is waiting for you on the other side of the storm.
Every door God opens does not necessarily mean we are to walk through it...or are we? Do we get these opportunities so God has the opportunity to speak to our hearts or to use a friend in our lives that will speak truth to us? Or is all of this just a time of pruning? I don't know....I may never know for sure...but I do know one thing; I am thankful I have beautiful friends in my life who are not afraid to speak truth to me, who seek peace in every situation and every decision.
I am even more thankful to my Heavenly Father who has not left me alone to walk this journey. He is at work in me every day, growing me into the person He wants me to be and some days that means pruning is necessary to move me into a new direction and, prayerfully, able to bear much fruit for His Kingdom. So, I am thankful for pruning even when it's painful...even when it's disappointing...even when I can't see what's on the "other side" of the storm because I know it is all for my good and His glory.
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." John 16:12-13
