"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when
Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." ~1 Peter 1:7
Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." ~1 Peter 1:7
It was a lazy-day Saturday, and all I wanted to do was camp out on the couch and watch movies. I could not find anything good on the many channels offered through my cable company or on Netflix, so I decided to turn to my collection of Harry Potter movies to entertain me for the day. I halfway watched the first movie in this series as I mostly slept through it.
When the first movie ended, my daughter asked me if I was ready for the next movie, The Chamber of Secrets, and she put it in the DVD player. I drifted in and out of sleep on this movie as well until I woke up to a scene of Harry in Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry was admiring the beautiful phoenix in the office when all of a sudden it burst into flames. Dumbledore had these words to say to Harry as he stared at the ashes that had just seconds before been a beautiful bird: "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Pheonixes burst into flames when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes."
After that line, I zoned out as I thought about the different fires I have experienced in my life. You know, the ones that, although they may not be physical fires, still seem to burn the very flesh from your skin and scorch every other part of you that the heat is still very real and very, very painful?
These moments hurt so badly while they last. These times in our lives may only last for a little while, but the pain of having to go through them seem to last an eternity.The moments we find ourselves going through fires in our lives sometimes seem to have no purpose at all. However, these are the exact moments that after our lives have burst into flames and it seems that all that is left are ashes we find ourselves being reborn and strengthened after having endured the fire.
I remember a time in my life that I had to go through a fire that hurt me so badly and for so long that I would have rather burned myself while frying chicken, as I often do, than to have to feel the pain of the hell I was in at that time. This fire did not just burn my heart until I could feel the smoke suffocating me, but it also burned my soul and my mind. I hated every single moment I had to endure during this firestorm. It lasted for exactly 9 months to the day that it started. While 9 months can pass by so quickly when life is good and fun, it feels like 1, 000 years when life is hurting you and there seems to be no end in sight.
I prayed, I cried and I begged God to please take the pain away and let me get through that pain quickly. I could not understand why He was allowing me to go through that time of agony. It did not make sense at all...until I got to month 6. That was when I realized that I had to respect the process because God wanted to do something inside of me, but I had to stop fighting and let the process take its time. Believe me the remaining 3 months still hurt me more than I ever care to hurt again, but I had perspective now. I did not know what it was that God wanted to teach me, but I knew that I needed to learn it then because if I did not this same kind of fire would wreak havoc in my life again and again until I did.
I learned a lot about myself during this time in my life. Many of those things I hated! I took some time to let the Holy Spirit strengthen me and help me be better each day. On that lazy Saturday, as I reflected back on that season of my life, I recalled some of the things I gained through the fiery moments that I thought would kill me.
When we go through the fires of life that are accompanied by the choking effects of burning brimstone those are the greatest opportunities to grow. There are many things we can gain from going through difficult situations. Sure there is bitterness, hatred and developing an unforgiving heart; however, I want to focus on those things that help us grow and shine like the sons and daughters of God that we are.
When life places us in an inferno that continues to heat the more we are thrown deeper into the fire, this is the moment where we see just how courageous we are. It is always easy to show bravery when the fires of life are small or easily contained, but it is something entirely different to face a fire that stretches for miles and miles that you can not even see where it ends.
Courage is finding the strength to face a challenge even when the challenge seems larger than the strength you have inside of you.
What I was facing in that situation totally knocked me down. I was so afraid of waking up each morning because of the memory of the unrelenting agony I felt the day before. In my mind, I knew that this day would be the same, and I knew I did not have the power in me to wake up again on the next. The pain had gotten so bad that I actually contemplated taking my life. I still have the little cuts on my arm as reminders. Thank God for the Holy Spirit speaking to my Aunt Mary Ann on my behalf. He used her to speak life into me and to remind me of who I am.
I recalled the Word of God in my heart and immediately I could feel His power strengthening me the way you can feel a cold glass of water refreshing you as it flows through your body when you are thirsty. I recalled Ephesians 6:10-11. I turned the pages of my Bible to Isaiah 43:2 and remembered that even though I felt like my life was hell on earth during this situation, God would not allow me to be consumed by the flames. So, even though I was still walking through that situation, my heart was strengthened all the more, thus helping to fortify me for the days ahead.
When we go though the fires of life, if we let it, that same fire that brought so much pain will purify our very souls making us more like Christ by transforming our hearts and minds to be more compassionate and understanding. The very same fire that you thought would take your life is the same one that cleansed you, made you shine brilliantly and made you brand new.
When I was going through my moments of sorrow and having pity on myself because I did not think God cared that I was hurting, I did not understand that He was allowing this pain so that it would refine me, polish me and make me into a new woman.
Sometimes God allows the fires in our lives to get out of our control so He can take control and remove the impurities, blemishes and ugliness that threaten to consume our souls. Without the fires of life we will never truly grow or be fully equipped to walk in our God given purpose. God has to remove some things, perfect some things and hone some things inside of us so we can be most effective to Him and for others.
Each time we go through a firestorm in our lives and come out of them we will find that our faith has been strengthened. This is an absolute marvel to me. Now we know that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), but we do not always understand that faith is more about the knowledge of how God has already walked us through a past season of pain than it is about how He will bring us out of a current situation.
We have to use an old level of faith to to get us through an unbearable situation to obtain a new level of faith that will get us through the next inevitable storm that will surely come. Coming out of a firestorm is not as rewarding as the faith gained as you come out of the storm. Gaining stronger faith is the real victory, making us triumphant over future storms to come.
I know that going through fiery moments in life are not easy, and the pain can hurt us so bad that we want to wave our flags in defeat and allow that pain to consume us. We have to be courageous with an understanding that God will not leave us in the fire (Deuteronomy 31:6). When going through the firestorms of life we have to allow God to purge us of anything that is not like Him (Psalm 51). When we feel the heat of the consuming flames we have to remember what God has already done in order to believe that He will deliver us again (Hebrews 13:8).
Each fire we go through takes us from one level of glory to a new level of glory in Christ. And that glory looks so good on us that it makes us shine radiantly as a testament of the powerful grace of God.
While a phoenix my not be real, the symbolism behind this mythological bird as it relates to the process it goes through in its lifetime can give us a visual of how life's fires do the same exact thing for us. Just like the phoenix grows, bursts into flames and is reborn out of its ashes, the same happens to us with each fire we encounter in life. The difference between us and this fascinating bird is that we come out more glorious and radiant because as we burst into flames and are reborn we are being touched by the very hand of the Almighty.
So, my friends, take heart, be purified and let your faith be strengthened each time you are walking through the fires of life. Know that our God is faithful to keep you and make you more beautiful with His glory, which lasts forevermore. Get excited in this season even now while you may be in pain, and look forward to all the things you will gain in the fire.
When the first movie ended, my daughter asked me if I was ready for the next movie, The Chamber of Secrets, and she put it in the DVD player. I drifted in and out of sleep on this movie as well until I woke up to a scene of Harry in Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry was admiring the beautiful phoenix in the office when all of a sudden it burst into flames. Dumbledore had these words to say to Harry as he stared at the ashes that had just seconds before been a beautiful bird: "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Pheonixes burst into flames when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes."
After that line, I zoned out as I thought about the different fires I have experienced in my life. You know, the ones that, although they may not be physical fires, still seem to burn the very flesh from your skin and scorch every other part of you that the heat is still very real and very, very painful?
These moments hurt so badly while they last. These times in our lives may only last for a little while, but the pain of having to go through them seem to last an eternity.The moments we find ourselves going through fires in our lives sometimes seem to have no purpose at all. However, these are the exact moments that after our lives have burst into flames and it seems that all that is left are ashes we find ourselves being reborn and strengthened after having endured the fire.
I remember a time in my life that I had to go through a fire that hurt me so badly and for so long that I would have rather burned myself while frying chicken, as I often do, than to have to feel the pain of the hell I was in at that time. This fire did not just burn my heart until I could feel the smoke suffocating me, but it also burned my soul and my mind. I hated every single moment I had to endure during this firestorm. It lasted for exactly 9 months to the day that it started. While 9 months can pass by so quickly when life is good and fun, it feels like 1, 000 years when life is hurting you and there seems to be no end in sight.
I prayed, I cried and I begged God to please take the pain away and let me get through that pain quickly. I could not understand why He was allowing me to go through that time of agony. It did not make sense at all...until I got to month 6. That was when I realized that I had to respect the process because God wanted to do something inside of me, but I had to stop fighting and let the process take its time. Believe me the remaining 3 months still hurt me more than I ever care to hurt again, but I had perspective now. I did not know what it was that God wanted to teach me, but I knew that I needed to learn it then because if I did not this same kind of fire would wreak havoc in my life again and again until I did.
I learned a lot about myself during this time in my life. Many of those things I hated! I took some time to let the Holy Spirit strengthen me and help me be better each day. On that lazy Saturday, as I reflected back on that season of my life, I recalled some of the things I gained through the fiery moments that I thought would kill me.
When we go through the fires of life that are accompanied by the choking effects of burning brimstone those are the greatest opportunities to grow. There are many things we can gain from going through difficult situations. Sure there is bitterness, hatred and developing an unforgiving heart; however, I want to focus on those things that help us grow and shine like the sons and daughters of God that we are.
When life places us in an inferno that continues to heat the more we are thrown deeper into the fire, this is the moment where we see just how courageous we are. It is always easy to show bravery when the fires of life are small or easily contained, but it is something entirely different to face a fire that stretches for miles and miles that you can not even see where it ends.
Courage is finding the strength to face a challenge even when the challenge seems larger than the strength you have inside of you.
What I was facing in that situation totally knocked me down. I was so afraid of waking up each morning because of the memory of the unrelenting agony I felt the day before. In my mind, I knew that this day would be the same, and I knew I did not have the power in me to wake up again on the next. The pain had gotten so bad that I actually contemplated taking my life. I still have the little cuts on my arm as reminders. Thank God for the Holy Spirit speaking to my Aunt Mary Ann on my behalf. He used her to speak life into me and to remind me of who I am.
I recalled the Word of God in my heart and immediately I could feel His power strengthening me the way you can feel a cold glass of water refreshing you as it flows through your body when you are thirsty. I recalled Ephesians 6:10-11. I turned the pages of my Bible to Isaiah 43:2 and remembered that even though I felt like my life was hell on earth during this situation, God would not allow me to be consumed by the flames. So, even though I was still walking through that situation, my heart was strengthened all the more, thus helping to fortify me for the days ahead.
When we go though the fires of life, if we let it, that same fire that brought so much pain will purify our very souls making us more like Christ by transforming our hearts and minds to be more compassionate and understanding. The very same fire that you thought would take your life is the same one that cleansed you, made you shine brilliantly and made you brand new.
When I was going through my moments of sorrow and having pity on myself because I did not think God cared that I was hurting, I did not understand that He was allowing this pain so that it would refine me, polish me and make me into a new woman.
Sometimes God allows the fires in our lives to get out of our control so He can take control and remove the impurities, blemishes and ugliness that threaten to consume our souls. Without the fires of life we will never truly grow or be fully equipped to walk in our God given purpose. God has to remove some things, perfect some things and hone some things inside of us so we can be most effective to Him and for others.
Each time we go through a firestorm in our lives and come out of them we will find that our faith has been strengthened. This is an absolute marvel to me. Now we know that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), but we do not always understand that faith is more about the knowledge of how God has already walked us through a past season of pain than it is about how He will bring us out of a current situation.
We have to use an old level of faith to to get us through an unbearable situation to obtain a new level of faith that will get us through the next inevitable storm that will surely come. Coming out of a firestorm is not as rewarding as the faith gained as you come out of the storm. Gaining stronger faith is the real victory, making us triumphant over future storms to come.
I know that going through fiery moments in life are not easy, and the pain can hurt us so bad that we want to wave our flags in defeat and allow that pain to consume us. We have to be courageous with an understanding that God will not leave us in the fire (Deuteronomy 31:6). When going through the firestorms of life we have to allow God to purge us of anything that is not like Him (Psalm 51). When we feel the heat of the consuming flames we have to remember what God has already done in order to believe that He will deliver us again (Hebrews 13:8).
Each fire we go through takes us from one level of glory to a new level of glory in Christ. And that glory looks so good on us that it makes us shine radiantly as a testament of the powerful grace of God.
While a phoenix my not be real, the symbolism behind this mythological bird as it relates to the process it goes through in its lifetime can give us a visual of how life's fires do the same exact thing for us. Just like the phoenix grows, bursts into flames and is reborn out of its ashes, the same happens to us with each fire we encounter in life. The difference between us and this fascinating bird is that we come out more glorious and radiant because as we burst into flames and are reborn we are being touched by the very hand of the Almighty.
So, my friends, take heart, be purified and let your faith be strengthened each time you are walking through the fires of life. Know that our God is faithful to keep you and make you more beautiful with His glory, which lasts forevermore. Get excited in this season even now while you may be in pain, and look forward to all the things you will gain in the fire.