Go Through!

Two Sunday nights ago Pastor Paul spoke on being a "Go Through" Christian.

The message has really impacted me! It challenged me to think about how many times I've deliberately avoided situations that could have really refined me.

I must admit, I have become more of a "Go Around" Christian than I ever should have allowed. I've avoided trials and tried to ignore painful memories in need of His healing. I have all too often "medicated" myself with constant activity, relationships, food, work, shopping; things which seemed like the easy way out of going through any sort of pain. I realize now that in going around instead of going through I was robbing myself of opportunities to be refined; depriving myself of potential growth.

I'm not trying to be sadistic here; we as Christians don't need to go around looking for an opportunity to experience pain. But we must not seek a way around a God-ordained trial when He brings us to it. We must go through.

Consider James 1:

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
-James 1:2-4 (NLT, emphasis added)

James 1:2-4 tells us we should consider trouble to be an opportunity for great joy.

Not just joy.

Great joy.

Troubles and testing are the fertilizer for spiritual endurance. Maturity is forged in the fire of testing. So let it grow (don't avoid it!). Go through.

Similarly, the author of Hebrews writes:

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised."
-Hebrews 10:36 (NLT, emphasis added)

How can we mature unless we go through?

Honestly, we won't.

And deep down I think we know it.

When you "hit a wall" spiritually will you pull back, or will you press through?

This is truly my season to go through, considering trouble as an opportunity for great joy. Patient endurance is what I need now, so I can continue to walk in His will for my life. It is my season to advance in the face of trials instead of pulling back.

And my guess is it's yours too.

If you take His hand and go through, you will know a great joy! He is refining you in that trouble. Strengthening you to endure the years of ministry, marriage, parenting, evangelism in your workplace, and/or whatever else He's called you to! He will make you perfect and complete, needing nothing!

Let's encourage each other as we go through today.

*megan

If you shortchange the process, you shortchange the promise.

[got this from my friend Charity Ramlal,

I'm not sure whose quote it is originally!)