How often we yearn to break free from life’s challenging circumstances, desperately hope for healing from sickness and disease, pray for problems to be fixed and long for an existence that is happy, calm and relaxed.
But what if the very things we seek to get away from are actually the making of us? What if those situations we struggle with and demands we dread are helping to shape us into Christ-likeness?
Would we view those things any differently? Could it make a difference to know we are continually being changed on the inside by God’s grace? I think so. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence in my own life, and most likely in yours as well.
For we actually grow most in times of adversity, flourish in yielding to God’s hand at work in us, see how our souls are moved to seek His face and realise that greater dependency produces greater reassurance and abiding fruit in us.
Because our lives are never just about us. They are part of God’s greater narrative in the world, whereby people, places and problems are far more interlinked than we can possibly know from our limited, earthly perspective.
You and I are conduits of God’s grace, channels of His mercy, love and compassion. All that we go through is teaching us how to relate better to God and to others. We are in the school of the Holy Spirit, continually learning how to live well as Christ-followers.
Sometimes we don’t like our homework very much, or repeating hard lessons until we finally get them. Then we start to see how God is using us to speak of His overcoming love during life’s painful circumstances.
Our lives become a living sermon. Our history is a testimony of faith and grace. Our stressful situations and difficult circumstances are means of helping others, just as much as they are shaping us.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a Christian for five minutes or fifty years, God will still speak to you and through you. All we have to do is be alert for His prompting, willing to obey and reflect on what Jesus has done for us.
He will provide the ability, words and opportunities. They may be many or few, but as long as we are faithful He will use every scrap of our faltering testimony, whether spoken, written down or lived out in some way.
Broken as we are ourselves, you and I are living Bibles to a broken world. We have a beautiful grace message to share, a word in due season for the wounded, a needful nugget of encouragement, a hand to hold and prayer to offer hope to the hurting.
Please don’t discount yourself as a witness for Jesus, or feel unworthy for the task, because God counts you in and makes you worthy by His grace. We all have a Holy Spirit-inspired role to play in drawing others to Christ in the imperfect living out of our faith.
Let’s go forth as fragile, boldly broken, work-in-progress, walking wounded warriors for God. Let’s not let our painful past or present circumstances deter us from being a willing, cheerful witness to His sustaining grace.
Dear Joy,
Once again, your words feel as if they were penned just for me. It is hard to face these repeated lessons, isn’t it? “Sometimes we don’t like our homework very much, or repeating hard lessons until we finally get them. Then we start to see how God is using us to speak of His overcoming love during life’s painful circumstances.” These words are touching my heart, straight from God’s heart today. He asks me to just be willing to let HIM be the shining, even when I feel dull and weary, and less than what I would wish to be. But then it is HIS shining that will be seen in me, and that is what I really want, after all. Thank you Dear Friend, for letting Him speak through your own very difficult days. You are a true blessing! May He bless you in return! xoxo
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Dear Bettie, I love the thought of penning poetry and prose for you alone. What a privilege! Though I hope and pray others will be blessed here too. I also love how you have expressed our surrender to God’s will and ways as being “willing to let HIM be the shining”, because of what they suggest about how the radiance of Christ beams through our lives, lighting us up on the inside and shining forth brightly to others. What a lovely thought, especially on those days when we “feel dull and weary, and less that what (we) would wish to be.” So often we sense the tarnishing more than God’s holy presence within, but it doesn’t detract from it as a living reality. May He continue to speak through you, too, sweet friend, as He has numerous times via your web site, emailed messages and encouraging comments here. You are such a blessing to me, and I echo these words to you: “May He bless you in return!” We are always stronger together. xoxo
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Thank you for this encouragement, Joy. I’ve been in a bit of a funk the last few days – this was a good reminder!
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June, I’m glad this post is a good reminder for you, and I sympathise with you. Since writing this my own life has taken a downward spiral, with horrible emotions getting the better of me. But God… (two of the best words ever, yes?) has drawn me with His loving-kindness, His strong cords of compassion, mercy and grace. What began as a battle for my mind has now become a victory in Christ. May the same be true for you, dear friend. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Blessings, love and gentle hugs to you! xo
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Aw, this is a beautiful read. God will use us no matter how long we know Him. He will use our brokenness and turn it to something beautiful.
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Hi Lux, it’s good to see you here! I completely agree with your words: “God will use us no matter how long we know Him. He will use our brokenness and turn it to something beautiful.” Amen, my friend! Thanks for stopping by. Blessed by your visit. 🙂
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Dear Joy , Thank your for reminding me : “Please don’t discount yourself as a witness for Jesus, or feel unworthy for the task, because God counts you in and makes you worthy by His grace. We all have a Holy Spirit-inspired role to play in drawing others to Christ in the imperfect living out of our faith.”
Those words jumped at me because that is exactly how I was feeling – I feel l have missed opportunities to verbally “witness” (according to my upbringing) — not conscientiously aware of and thankful for the importance of the “… role in drawing others to Christ in the imperfect living out of our faith.” Bless you.
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Dear Laura Jean, it’s so encouraging to think God chose those words to bring fresh hope to your heart! I’m humbly grateful to have been the means of you feeling called not cancelled, knowing you are necessary, a vital part of the body of Christ, so precious and deeply loved by God. May He grant you opportunity to share your faith in a natural way, as He reveals how it continually shines forth from your life, for His praise and glory. There’s more than one way to be a witness for Christ, and the quiet, less verbally sure ones among us have far more influence than we know. Thank you for being here. God bless you, friend! 🙂 x
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