Are you afraid of the process God may use to get you to your place of victory? You are not alone!

I remember when I was facing one of the biggest storms in my life and believing God for a miracle. Eventually I got to the point where I was absolutely sure and convinced that I will end up victorious; that at the end of it all, I will win. I believed that with all that is within me so I wasn’t afraid of the end result; however, what I was afraid of was the process God may choose to get me to my expected end – victory. I feared the process to victory.

I know I am not the only one who feels this way, because I am not the only one that has ever faced a challenge or is currently facing a challenge. I know I am unique, but not that unique to where I will be the only one in the entire world experiencing those feelings. So that is why I write this, to encourage you who may be experiencing the exact same thing.

The reason we feel this way is because we know that God is unlimited in His ways. When we encounter God through the challenges we face in life, He takes us through a purification, sanctification, and refining process. He takes us through what we know as “the wilderness journey.”

It is in this place that He begins to carve out of our old stony hearts and put in us a heart of flesh that is towards Him. It is in this place that He takes us through the consecration process and I will be the first to tell you that it is not an easy process. It is a hard but necessary process. It can be painful because our “flesh” fights us throughout the entire process. The flesh wants us to stay the same way we are, that is being captives of the devil, the god of this world. It is hard to let go of our old habits, our old ways of doing things that gratifies our own selfish desires. Even the Holy Spirit recognizes that it can be painful. Scripture says in Hebrews 12:11

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

The Amplified Classic Version (AMPC) puts it this way:

“For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose].”

Also in the wilderness season, God tests us. Yes you read that right! God tests us; He tests our faith; He tests our patience; He tests our convictions. He puts us through several tests in order to strengthen us and bring us out stronger, wiser, and better than we went in. This is why we fear the process because we have no idea how or what God will use to test and refine us. Although we know that He is always with us throughout the entire process, because in Isaiah 43:2 He promised that

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” However, we are still afraid.

The Potter, the Clay, and the Refining Process

I want you to imagine a potter in the process of making a beautiful vase out of clay. Imagine the process the potter puts the clay through. He beats it, slaps it, slams it, molds it, puts it through the spinning wheel, and then puts it inside the fire. Imagine you are the clay and you are begging the potter to please stop but he refuses because he knows the end result. He knows how at the end people would admire how beautiful the vase is and how valuable it will be. The bible says that

God is the Potter and we are the clay, the works of His hands (see Isaiah 64:8).

As we go through the process, we find ourselves begging and pleading instead for God to stop because it is too painful. Or we beg God to please not take us through a difficult path; He can test us but not too hard; He can cleanse us but not too rough; He can purify us but please be gentle.

What if we change our perspective instead? What if we choose to focus on the fact that victory is ours no matter what we encounter on the way to claim it? What if we just sit back and allow God to work in us and through us to get us to His perfect will for us? What if we choose to stand in confidence of what the Word of God says concerning that situation?

If we know that no matter what, come rain, come hail, we win at the end then why are we worrying ourselves fretting about the way God might choose to get us there?

I want to encourage you to shift your focus to who you are becoming in Christ through this process. Focus on what God is doing in you and how refined, purified, consecrated, and complete, lacking nothing (see James 1:4), you will be at the end and living in victory. The best way to go through the wilderness season is to shift your focus and keep it on God. Don’t focus on the process; focus on the One taking you through the process and pray through the process. Communicate your fears and anxieties to God through your prayers, asking Him for the grace to endure. And remember,

He always makes everything work out for our good, even the ones the enemy meant for harm (Romans 8:28).

So when I was hit with that major storm, each day I would remind myself to focus not on the method that God will use, because clearly His ways are not my ways, but instead to focus on who He is. It wasn’t an easy task but I knew that was the only way to survive that season and receive my victory which God already has waiting for me. I knew, just like The United Christian Broadcaster said in a recent “Word For Today” devotional, I am ‘graced’ for the test and so are you!

Well until next time, remember, keep your hope in God for He loves you unconditionally and has promised to never leave you nor forsake you!

Hey! Do you know we have other articles that I’m sure you would enjoy reading and will be a blessing to you? Check out the articles that are related to this below. Happy reading