“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.“
Hebrews 12:1 (PBT)
In easy times we tend to add things. They add weight and maintenance to our life. Mountain climbers know that the weight of their tools at the beginning of their climb will increase as they arrive at the summit. They only carry what’s necessary.
Difficult times demand that we declutter what’s occupying our time. Decluttering is not always about things, but about wounds! Offenses that have never been dealt with have to go. Unfamiliar times demand that we declutter what we’re carrying. We can’t give quality attention to anything when we are challenged at a different level of chaos than we’ve ever known.
Life in unfamiliar times often feels like white water rafting at night on a river we’ve never navigated and with a boat load of circumstances and people we’ve never met. Ready or not the river, like life, is always moving. We have to declutter how we think of ourselves! God knows how to remake us in adversity. We have to let Him.
Opportunities hide in the toughest places of life when our grandiose inventory conceals them. Opportunity necessitates movement. Movement shakes things loose. Taking hold of the right things requires letting go of the lesser things. Downsizing our carry-ons is tough, especially when they are about our self-image. We are often shocked at how overweight our baggage is!
We can’t carry everything from our past seasons into our next one. We have to make cutbacks. Adversity demands our full attention. God is committed to growing us into the full image of His Son. He takes advantage of the unfamiliar we’re going through to develop His character in us. He’s one hundred percent committed to our transformation. He knows our future and is determined to prepare us for what’s next. He speaks to us from a Kingdom dialogue!
Consumed with all that is wrong, we view our challenging situation through the dirty lens of our preferences. God holds nothing back. His word initiates disciplined measures to reorient us. His course corrections bring into view subtle opportunities to grow our character. Discipline!
“Now all discipline seems to be more pain than pleasure at the time, yet later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it.“
Hebrews 12:11 (PBT)
Decluttering distractions from God’s point of view requires discipline. In the process of spiritual discipline, we must drop the weight that would have previously thrown us off balance. Then we can run. We have to own the race to run it. On the other side of discipline is priceless victory.
0 Comments