There are times when life just doesn’t seem to go right. Debt is piling up. The marriage is tense. Health is cratering. The world seems to be falling apart. And to add to the misery, you endlessly hit every red light. What is God up to…really?
The inner battle stays brewing…even when you know it should not. Random thoughts. Anxious chatter. Sleepless nights. A fight that you can’t seem to leave.
You ask yourself, “God, where are you in the midst of all of this? Why does life have to be this way?”
And then you hear His soft response, “It’s because I️ am leading you there.” Leading you…
- Away from the chaos…to find the peace that only comes from me.
- To the still waters…so that your reliance is only on me.
- Towards a different life, one that this world will never comprehend.
- Encouraging you to keep following, because I️ know what is best for you..even when you cannot make sense of the craziness that unwinds in your life.
It is often through the storm that we can uncover the depth of God’s goodness, and see our barren need for more of Him. During the challenge of your faith, make no doubt–God wants you to be transformed. He is all about you being your best. He is leading the way, so be mindful to stay close to Him.
Our Good Shepherd is intentional.
He has a purpose behind the method. Although we may not have clarity right now, we can release the tension where our will and heart meet. We can willingly say, “Thy will be done” even though we cannot make sense of all the details. The truth we can trust is that He is, indeed, leading us and it is our job to follow. There is no circumstance too big for our God, for even the most minute detail is subject to His control. Knowing this provides such comfort…knowing that there ain’t going to be anything that comes into our lives that He cannot use for good.
God is after your whole-heart transformation.
He longs for you to look more like HIm. The things that He allows into your life ultimately are to be worked together for your good and God’s glory. When God created you, He had a purpose in mind. He knows your story (Eph. 2:10) and ultimately He wants you to be transformed…piece by piece…little by little.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom. 12:2
Your. Complete. Restoration.
Now that doesn’t mean that all your wishes will come true like a genie in a bottle…nor does it mean that you will have a life of ease. What it means is that God is committed to you as a child of His and He is working in your life to make you transformed.
I️ know..I️ hear you…we all have this preconceived notion of what we think our lives should look life. Possibly a large bank account. A plethora of friends. Notoriety. Or simply a life of ease. Clarity of purpose. The feeling of love. Or an endless supply of joy.
But don’t you see…what we all long for…is to feel full and completely whole? To have these endless longings finally satisfied. To have the longings finally come to an end. The hurts to hurt no more. To be so full that we overflow and want others to feel it too? Why, this my friend, is what we really want…we all want to be restored.
It is impossible to be restored when we envy the blessings of our neighbor. Joy cannot overflow when we want to control everyone and everything around us. Love does not exude when we hold on tight to resentment and bitterness. True purpose cannot be found when we’re vying to please others. Freedom escapes us when we live in the shadows of fear. The work that God is doing in us starts within.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 2 Cor. 4:16
But how do we get there? What steps do we need to take?
When life gets confusing, the first step you can take is to dig into it. We are sorta wired to hang on to the bad, rather than allowing it to propel us to our next thing. When something difficult happens in your life, start to tear it apart. What is God teaching you? What does He want you to learn or understand? Where do you see a Gospel narrative taking place? How has your sin been revealed? Where can you fight to see the good? Seek godly counsel to find God’s narrative and allow the pain to be healed in the process. Processing pain and suffering can take time and that’s okay…after all, this life isn’t meant to be perfect.
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. Romans 8:28-29
Despite the noise that is going on in your life…one thing is for certain. God is up to the transformation of those who love Him.
And He will stay with us to the end.
Gloriously completing what He has started.
I love this, Sue!
Thank you so much for it. It truly spoke to me.
I wish you and your family the very best in the New Year.
Love to you-
Brandy