EncountHer
Nov. 9, 2013
"Let God Process You"
We continued our dialogue on relationships from October. This time the topic was “Let God Process You”. What is the “process”? It is God’s process of transformation. It's all about change. We're not talking about self improvement or behavior modification or making you a nicer, sweeter, smarter, better person. Nothing wrong with those things. But we're talking about seeing the life of Christ develop in you, which is the process of sanctification. It's a spiritual thing. It's deeper and richer than just personal growth. It's a supernatural thing, but it plays out in our everyday lives as well.
If you are a follower of Christ, you are going through a process that prepares you for the plan God has for your life. God’s process of transformation begins in our minds and then spreads to every area of our lives. Unless our thinking changes, our behaviors, along with its consequences, will not change. It's our thinking that determines our actions or how we behave. If our thinking is not transformed - if our minds are not renewed throught God's process, our decision-making will be hit or miss at best. And our actions control our lives.
Reflection
by Rebecca St. James
I’m often asked how I remain patient with God’s plan for my life when I’m still single. I’ve talked so much about it, it’s no secret—eventually I want to get married. The truth is that there have been many moments when I’ve been tired of waiting for the right guy to arrive. My mother challenged me once. “You need to let go and trust God with this,” she said. I started tearing up. She was right. I asked, “How do you let go of something so important?”
Relinquishing this to God has been quite a process, but I don’t want anything for myself that God doesn’t want for me. Where are the joy and abundant life in settling for something that He doesn’t desire for my life? Releasing this was incredibly freeing. I still believe God will grant me this desire, but I will trust God either way. Until you come to that place of abandonment, the grass always looks greener on the other side.
If you can’t surrender something of such importance, the danger is that when it comes you will cling to it and suffocate it, and you may end up hurting the very thing you have longed for. I now feel that I will be able to go into marriage as a whole person.
A better prayer than “God, when will You bring the special guy into my life?” is “God, I don’t know what You have in mind for my future . . . but I await whatever it is expectantly, knowing that You know me better than I even know myself.” I don’t want any less than what God has in mind. I want the best that He has in mind.