Lately, I have been asking the Lord to show me what it means to be "strong and courageous". Confrontations are most uncomfortable for most of us. Often times, I would much rather maintain the peace than confront with the issues head on. It exposes the "humanness" in all of us.
Here's something I read:
"The spirituality demanded at a time of tension in the church itself requires more than patience. 'Time changes nothing,' the proverb teaches. 'People do.' But while we work for change, we need a spirituality of conviction, honesty, awareness, endurance, and faith in the God whose time is not our time."
People seek for manifestations of power, success, victories, signs and wonders - power play. As we grow in Christ and life, we have allowed others' view of us to become who we are. Many times, we are and we feel damaged in the process. For me, I feel trapped and stifled. But it is in this predicament I start to understand and see who I am to become in His eyes. It is in that place, I am no longer a small child, but maturing to adulthood.
I am starting to understand what it means to be strong and courageous
being strong is rooted in being the beloved
being courageous is to name the evil we see and stand against it
how can I live this call in harmony?
There's not a quick fix to this. I sincerely believe this struggle is the full evidence that our relationship with the Lord is dynamic and alive. Our spiritual journey is not a step by step process but an ever-increasing depth and circularity. We learn the same lesson over and over again, each time - if we are lucky - understanding them differently, learning from them more, dealing with them better, till we find rest.
