The Growing Process

I was thinking today about how the growing process is so painful at times. We (I) fight (kicking and screaming) for our own way (or control). We cling to those "things or people" in our life that we think bring peace and security. When what we really need to do is release them to Christ.

Christ MUST be our everything.

Total abandonment to Christ is what God desires for us. But we can't be totally abandoned to Him until our hearts are holy cleansed. We (again I'm totally included) try to hide sin in our hearts thinking it does no harm there. What we don't realize is that it's like a cancer that grows until it effects our whole relationship with Christ. We must confess our "secret sins" and allow the blood of Christ to thoroughly cleanse us. This of course is not a once and done process, daily cleansing is required. Cleansing is especially important in those areas that we have allowed Satan to gain a stronghold in our hearts. God is faithful and will continue the refining process until the day He calls us home.

Oh to be like Jesus...my hearts desire!

I have a tendency to run from hard things in my life or try to bury them somewhere and not want to deal with them head on. But to have freedom from that thing that has a grip on you-you have to face it head on. The trials, pain and suffering that don't seem to let up- you must go through it-head on.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, [being]more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, [even] the salvation of [your] souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have [its]perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. James1:2-4