15 FAITH - GROWING THROUGH DIFFICULTY

In reflection

Earlier today I found myself in reflection mode. I was ruminating on some of my life’s challenges and triumphs thus far and how those battles to overcome and rise above has shaped me and informed who I am today, how I think and in many ways how I reason.  In my introspection I began going through some affirmation readings to solidify lessons learnt when I encountered TODAY’S WORD sent to me by a friend from Joel & Victoria Osteen titled “Growing through Difficulty,” it begins…..

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold...” (1 Peter 1:7, NLT)

 “One thing we have to realize is that God is not going to deliver us from every difficulty. He is not going to keep us from every challenge. If He did, we would never grow.” --Joel Osteen

I thought to myself, hmmmm ok. I understand the reasoning. To experience true growth, a transformation to the birth of wisdom, knowing, to the elevation of self, one has to walk through the fire doing the necessary work in order to come out on the other side because…

“Our faith is tried in the fire of affliction.”

As much as I understand this, i.e. the premise of faith, trials through fire, the building of strength, hope and power to manage and triumph what is to come. I am challenged. I have to say in my humanness I am at times willfully resistant and my faith falters and doubt tauntingly seeps in bringing with it fear.  If I surrender even a little to fear it weakens the wall of my faith. Then  I am unwilling to step into the fire and embrace the necessary pain, singe, scorch, burn, disillusionment, sorrow, betrayals, inherent in walking through the tribulations in order to stand victorious.
Why you may ask, three words, I am imperfect. I don't want to experience the wrenching of my insides. Frankly, it just plain sucks and the struggle feels like an intention macabre disembowelment that makes avoidance and pretense though futile a seemingly attractive alternative.  Sounds crazy right?

At times it is so easy to get discouraged, to feel angry at our circumstances when life delivers a one two punch not allowing us time to breathe and recover before another series of blows knock us on our asses again. It is precisely in those moments when life kicks us in the teeth and we are flat on our face with our ass expose to the swift kick that may come that we need to hold strong to faith, to hold steady.

“When you’re in a tough time, that’s an opportunity for your faith to shine.” --Joel & Victoria Osteen

Faith is what will get us through. The true lesson in life is that we need to have faith through all of life’s challenges. We need to not take it for granted and assume that “faith” will automatically be there if we have done nothing to ensure that it is.

Our faith is key to our survival along with our willingness to fight. Faith renews of our spirit, it is the garden we need to nurture and mind. We need to maintain it, protect it and build it continuously while simultaneously strengthening ourselves to ensure that when life's test comes and it will undoubtedly come, our faith will be in tact, resilient and strong. All of which requires us to believe in the Divine, in ourselves, to be sure, to be ready, to be prepared, to be a warrior in our own lives for God helps those who help themselves. It is not enough to pray and say “Lord Lord” for help and sit and do nothing, waiting for a miracle to happen. We must be willing to do the work required so that when help comes we are ready and able to receive it.

Giving up is not an option, it cannot be because to give into despair ensures our defeat; it guarantees our disablement to rise and triumph over.

MY MESSAGE TO ALL OF US….

Keep the faith; hold on when you feel like giving up.

Yeah life can be a challenge but you are so worth the journey and worthy of the triumph.

Art: Soul Searching II by Dr D Ash Freeport

---

* What are you thankful for today? – click & share on my Gratitude Journal