The Process

You know one thing I don't have a lot of sometimes? PATIENCE.

One of the biggest tests of patience I have ever had to experience was waiting to marry Chad. When we got engaged, we had been dating for six and a half years, and then we were engaged for another year. So for a total of seven and a half years, I waited to marry that sweet man.

Now, given that we were only 15 years old when we started dating, I really do understand that it was very necessary to wait a while before tying the knot. Kind of hard to get married when you can't drive yourselves anywhere, ya know. I will never forget being in that waiting period though, and how my emotions could go from,

"It's so good we are waiting to get married so that we are totally ready and prepared for all of life's obstacles. #patienceisavirtue" 

to 

"If we don't get married soon, I'M GOING TO HURT SOMEONE!! #futurebridezilla" 

I know, I know, I was a little violent back then.

But on the real, this was one of the hardest yet best seasons in my life because it taught me the importance of the PROCESS. You know the process. That important thing that builds patience, virtue, grace, forgiveness, anticipation, etc. That process that molds you into the person you're called to be. That process that is sometimes long, sometimes painful, but always worth it. 

This past Sunday, Pastor John shared an incredible message about the process of building a Godly life. Y'all, I am talking incredible. Here's a link to the message if you get a chance to watch: How To Build A Life. I promise you will not be disappointed! The message was so on point and hit so close to home that I wanted to share some things I learned. 

One thing he shared was this: 

"God's Word is a lamp to our feet, not a spotlight to our future."

After Chad and I got engaged, I remember how stinking excited I was to begin wedding planning. The first thing we did was set a date; then came all of the fun things, like securing a venue, a photographer, a caterer, buying a wedding dress, etc. It was a blast! But as the months wore on, I grew impatient; I was tired of waiting. I began getting stressed over the small stuff and wanted time to pass more quickly. I wanted to get to April 4th, not worry about June 27th, August 2nd, October 15th, December 12th, January 29th, etc.

How often do we catch ourselves wanting to see days, months, years down the road, rather than focusing on today? Probably fairly often if we were being honest, but that's not what God's Word calls us to do. It's a lamp; it guides our step by step, not our full-on-sprint-to-the-end. This is where we are reminded that we should be focusing on steps 1 and 2 and not worrying about steps 18, 19, and 20.

God's Word is very clear on worry in Philippians 4:6:

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He's done."

If there's one thing I've learned about worry (especially worrying about the future) is that if it's on my worry list, it should be on prayer list.

Another thing that really hit home with me that Pastor John spoke about is that if you are striving to live the life God has called you, you will absolutely, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt experience spiritual opposition.

I'm not a foreigner to spiritual opposition by any means. I have found that when I am pressing into God's Presence and His Word the most is when I experience the most opposition in all different areas.  This is not a shock by any means because it just shows that Satan doesn't like when we press into the Presence of God; he's intimidated by it, which means he is going to work overtime in trying to make sure we fail and fall away.

Pastor John hit the nail on the head when he said,

"If you're not ready to experience spiritual opposition from your obedience to God, you're not ready to be used by God."

Chad and I prayed fervently about our future. Chad fervently sought the Lord about the best time to propose. We prayed about a wedding date. We prayed about buying our first house. So many of these big life changes took time. Sometimes I got frustrated, impatient, annoyed that it was taking so long. But it was in this that I realized that "sometimes we have to do things and go through things we don't want to, to prepare for the things we are called to." God promises in His Word that He will never leave or forsake us, and that He will provide us everything according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. All we have to do is be obedient, wait, pray, ask, seek, knock.

When we are going through any type of process, it will always take time, effort, and resources. Just like the process a bride goes through in preparing for her wedding day. She thinks of every detail, studies venues, caterers, photographers, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, napkins, songs, and so much more. Her goal is to make her and her future husband's wedding day as beautiful as possible. Therefore, she puts the time and energy into making it happen.

Our spiritual journey and process in building a Godly life is no different. To make ourselves ready for our Groom,  Jesus Christ, for the ultimate wedding feast of the Lamb, we must prepare our hearts, our minds, our spirits; just like a bride carefully fixes her hair, dress, and veil. Much like a bride invites those she loves to the wedding, we must invite as many people as we can to the ultimate party and best wedding there will ever be: Jesus' return and an eternity spent worshipping Him. 

And much like that bride will experience certain hiccups in planning for her big day, we need to be anticipatory of opposition to come in this life. Being on guard. Having our spiritual swords ready to defend ourselves and those around us with the Truth of God's Word. Making ourselves ready for our Groom, sweet friends. Let's enjoy the process He is using to make us beautiful. Time is drawing near.

Love & Blessings,

Claire