"We all want to be loved for who we are [but] we all want to become who we are not."
John Ortberg sums up spiritual growth that way. Does that hunger resonate with you? God has wired us for yearning, to become more, or better, or stronger, or more adept with the skills we have--to go deeper. That requires change.
And change is a scary thing.
The best news is, there's nothing about change that God hasn't prepared us to handle, precisely because God wants us to be the very best version of us that we can be. It's up to us not to block God's redemptive power.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says
Each time he (Christ) said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [NLT]
Can you set aside your weaknesses to take the steps you need to grow? Especially if your weaknesses are rooted in fear? Let me share some hope with you. The constant in life is change. Life has to change in order to keep living--seeds to plants, autumn leaves to spring blossoms, rebirth in many forms and fashions. If God promises life--and abundant life at that--the change you may be faced with at this moment (or feeling nudged toward), places you in the perfect spot to see needs, and to allow God to work through you in meeting those needs (yours or your neighbors').
It's time to celebrate, believe it or not, and check out the opportunities God is nudging toward you. It may be involvement in a class, a group, a mission project, a new spiritual discipline, but it's a good thing, a GREAT thing, in God's eyes.
And so I wish grace and joy to all my beloveds on this journey today!
Julie
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