"Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love for God's people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God
for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that
you might grow in your knowledge of God." -Ephesians 1:15-17
Are you more of a "wisdom" person, or are you more of a "faith" person?
In life, I have discovered there are often two kinds of people: those
who are risk-takers, and those who are risk-adverse. Both personality
types have pros and cons, but both are essential to God's kingdom.
People who are "faith" oriented love risk, and are not afraid of a new
challenge. They love starting new endeavors and trying new things!
Sometimes, though, risk can bring many challenges, such as betting too
big of a hand, resulting in big losses.
People who tend to play it safe are more "wisdom" oriented - they see
the risks, count the cost, and opt to avoid the pitfalls. On the other
hand, these people might be slow to take advantage of opportunity, (and
may subsequently miss it), and might be prone to "hide" their gifts
instead of investing them. In the Bible, Peter was a "faith" person;
Solomon was a "wisdom" person.
If you are a faith person, do you have wise people around you?
Conversely, if you are a wisdom person, do you have people around you
who challenge you to step out of the box and try new things? I am so
thankful that God paired me up with a wisdom person, as I have often
gotten myself into trouble being more of a faith person.
The cool thing is, it is wise to be filled with faith, (the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom), and to be faithful is to be wise. (Ps
111:10) Do you have a healthy balance of both faith and wisdom in your
life?
"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved." Matthew 9:17
Occasionally God will bring us to a place where he squeezes the life out of us. Yup, that's right. We don't actually die - although it sure can feel like it! God does this to move us forward, help us realize something about ourselves, or put his finger on sin in our lives. Often it could be a combination of all of these.
When we feel uncomfortable in our walk with God, it might be an indication that God is trying to move us forward, out of the mediocre, out of the desert, out of slavery, and/or out of Egypt. Often we won't know what it is God is trying to do until we move forward in Him. It is then that we can move past the discomfort into a place that may require more responsibility, more purity, or more strength or endurance, but certainly greater authority.
Growing is uncomfortable. It requires overcoming. Growing requires doing something when we don't feel like it. It may require admitting sin or beginning from a place of humility. Whatever type of "God-squeeze" you are experiencing, know that it is a part of God's plan to bring about his perfect will in your life. "...for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9b
How will you respond? Take up the challenge to pull through.
