Every time God wants to do something in us or through us He brings us through 4 stages. Every stage is about critically important to who we are becoming so none of them can be bypassed. The first stage is where we receive Revelation. It is where God speaks to us and reveals some of His purpose for us. Once we have received Revelation God begins to show us what needs to change in our lives. This is the stage of Confrontation and every time God speaks to us He brings us to this stage. Often we miss out on His plan because we misunderstand what He is doing and don’t submit to what He is trying to do. It we do submit to Him we move into the third stage, Transformation, where we allow Him to change us. God never allows anything in our lives that He is unwilling to see us through if we allow Him to. And the purpose for our struggle is that we can be more and more like Jesus. Once we go through the stage of Transformation we enter the stage we all want to see in our lives. The final stage is Manifestation. This is where God releases in and through us the fullness of His promise and we begin to see the fruit of the process He has brought us through.
God desires greatly to bring us to the fulfillment of His purpose He specifically designed each of us for. God is extremely interested and heavily invested in each of us. And we cannot reach the stage of Manifestation unless we are willing to walk through the middle ground where God deals with our nature and shows us our character. Character is always proven in the fire. It is the stages of confrontation and transformation that Character is formed and proven.
- Things happen TO me,
- So that things can happen IN me
- So that things can happen THROUGH me
Every follower of Christ wants to be able to hear “Well done good and faithful servant” when we face God one day. To live in the destiny and plan that God has for each of us. The encouraging part of this process is God never gives up on us. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6 “I am sure that God Who began the good work in you will keep on working in you until the day Jesus Christ comes again. ” NLV
Folks there is light at the end of the tunnel. And it isn’t a train. There is a reason for everything you are walking through. Every situation and problem in our lives has been “Father Filtered”. God is sovereign and He allows things in our lives for the express purpose of bringing out the manifestation of His life in us. Psalms 105:19 “Until the time came to fulfill his word, the LORD tested Joseph’s character”. “Things happen to me, so that things can happen in me, so that things can happen through me.”
So if you’re in the stage of confrontation, allow God to show you who you really are. Then allow Him to change you by facing your giants and move forward into what God has for you. I can guarantee that despite the pain, if we allow the process to come to completion, we will never regret what God has brought us through.
Let me share how a wise servant of God endured this process. He was a retired missionary who served in the Andes of South America. He said,
“Storms are a part of life; God made it that way,” he said, “but I learned a secret that’s helped me all these years, and it is still helping me: Always look for the rainbow. The world looks for the silver lining and sings ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ . But we have something better. You can’t close your eyes to the storm and pretend it’s not there, but your can look for the rainbow in the storm. It’s always there. Expect the storms and don’t be afraid of them, because God is always faithful. And always remember to look for the rainbow.”
So if you’re in the middle of this process and the storm is raging all around you, remember God is in control and look for the rainbow. There are three questions to ask to help you find the rainbow because when the storm is roaring it can sometimes be hard to find.
- God do you still love me?
Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” NLT
- God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love! Message
- God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.
- Do You still have my best interests at heart?
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. NLT
- God will You see me through?
Hebrews 13:5 “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” Message
Absolutely everything God brings us through is for good, both for us and for the kingdom.
Things happen TO me,
So that things can happen IN me
So that things can happen THROUGH me
The Blog of Tom Sanders 