It's a process

Romans 6:1-2

1 WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God's grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow?

2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

                I think Paul said it the best way possible in this scripture when he states that just because God’s grace abounds, it does not give us an excuse to continue to sin. He later states that we cannot continue to live in sin if we die to it. The further I get in this journey with God the more I realize that it is really all just a process. Yes, I still screw up from time to time. Yes, I miss God every so often, but that does not mean that I am not a righteous man of God. I am beginning to realize that I am going to screw up every now and again, but God’s grace is not an excuse to do so.  I strive to become as Christ like as possible, but I have to face the fact that I am not Him, but He is in me. Him in me is what makes me perfect, and there is nothing I can do in my own strength to be perfect. He has taken me so far from where I was at a few years ago; it really befuddles me that I used to be the person who I was. My ideologies were so worldly based that I was a product of this world instead of being who I really was, a product of God. I, as most people are, am my worst critic. I am constantly getting on myself about things that I do or say that are not Christ like. If I am not careful I judge myself, and do the one thing God frowns on the most, I begin to grow disdain of who I am. The one thing God wants is for us to love who we are. He created us a certain way, and instead of being hard on ourselves we need to realize that this walk is a process. We are to be constantly growing closer to Him. We walk through things so that we can grow in Him. I do not know one person that is mighty in God that has not been through some major trials in their lives. If we want to ascend closer to holiness, we need to go through some crap. I am not coming to you with eloquence of speech, but with the voice that God gave me (1 Corinthians 2:1). This has been something that I have been dealing with for quite some time. Like I said before I am not perfect, and I miss God sometimes but that will never make me forget who I am, a righteous royal heir of God. Knowing that God has mercy on me does not make me feel fine with sinning any longer, but in fact draws me closer to Him because of His love to show mercy. His love is so unconditional it really blows my mind. As Lavonne states quite often, “In spite of me, God loves me.” I know that I have nothing without Him. I have no power, I have no knowledge, and I have nothing without Him. He is my creator and is constantly purging me in this process to be more like Him. He is who we were created to be like. He stated in Genesis 1 that He created us in His own likeness. We need to not worry about how imperfect we are, but focus on this beautiful process that He is taking us through. I am by no means limiting God that He cannot purge somebody into perfection instantaneously, but I am stating that with me it is a process.

                The definition of a process is something that is subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition. He is constantly treating and molding us for a purpose. This is why in Isaiah He states that God is the potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). With each step and decision of our lives He is molding us with His very own hands to create a perfect vessel that He places Himself in. I believe that there are seasons in our life where we are being shaped in different ways so that we can consume who He is for what we have to go through. In fact, each season of our life is like this. He never gives us more than we can handle. The fact that He is shaping me with His hands through each step of my life brings me an overwhelming sense of joy. That scripture alone makes this process much more bearable. He loves us so much that if we allow Him to, He will always have His hands on us molding us into His image. We need to not hate that process, but to only embrace it. I have never seen a pot that looked beautiful in the beginning stages of its molding. It was only after the completion and purifying fire that the vessel looked perfect and beautiful.

                Here is another analogy God gave me. It reminds me a bit of Psalms 1:3 where those that are after God are planted as trees near the river. I was sleeping one night this past week and He woke me up and told me the process of the growth of an oak tree. He told me, “An oak does not grow large in a day. It starts out as a mere seed, and it gets watered, and it gets sun, then it sprouts and takes root.” In this process with God, we start off as a small seed that gets planted in soil. The soil represents the Word of God that we are to take root in which produces strength. The water represents the Holy Spirit, and the sun represents the Son of God. As we grow in the Word, and become able to discern the Holy Spirit we begin to sprout closer to the Son. If you think about it the taller an oak tree gets the closer it gets to the sun. This is the same thing in the spiritual realm. The more we grow in the Word and understanding of God the more we become Christ like. Through this process we are building a closer relationship with God.

                God I just want to pray that we all gain understanding that this walk is a process. I pray that we gain the revelation that each day we move closer to you. I pray that we let the Holy Spirit guide us, and let us learn how have our ears opened to hear Your voice. Give us an increase of wisdom and discernment in our lives Lord. Let us love ourselves the same way that You do, so that when we slip up we can learn from the experience and grow in You. I pray that You break me, shape me, and mold me in Your hands so that I can be the perfect vessel You see me as. Let us all gain an understanding that we all have clay feet, and in a gaining of this understanding we show others the same mercy that You show us. I pray that our soul longing is for You, and only You. I pray that this generation be gripped by Your hands so that they too can begin the process of becoming like You. Let us understand that Your mercy is not to be taken for granted, but to drive us deeper into Your heart. I cannot pray for anything but for this generation to know Your heartbeat. Holy Spirit water us so that His hands can more easily mold us as clay. Amen!