Lay open

I am almost 34 years old, and I've been through quite the stuff in life. I have endured all forms of abuse, single motherhood, health problems, multiple surgeries, and more recently, a broken marriage. In those times I have had many revelations, or "epiphanies". And each time, I think it's the last one. I think to myself, "Uh, that was so painful and rough to go through; I learned so much and am at a new level of maturity, I can't imagine God or God through people can teach or show me anything else about myself or life." I am clearly wrong.

To sum up my point I'll say this. IF you stay before the Lord, and lay openly before Him on a consistent basis, and the core of your life is God, you will NEVER stop growing. You will never stop maturing. The key word here is IF. It's so hard in this day and age to not let other things suck us in and choke our spiritual lives. But we must stay before God, and lay openly before Him and be willing, and invite challenges in. It's so not about the actual circumstance in your life-it's what you do with it, and how you respond. If we are open before God and open to God, He will never stop working in us and showing us things.

But if my mind is all consumed with other things, and I'm not open or focused on growing and learning, it won't come so much. You have to be in the game of life in Christ. Seeking, searching, asking, begging for God's hand in your life. And let me tell you, He'll do it. And it isn't always easy. As a matter of fact, the important stuff, the stuff that helps us grow, is always the toughest, the most painful. But we have to be open and willing to walk through that.
The goal is to be perfect, and that won't happen until Jesus comes back, but until He does, it's our goal to be as much like Him as possible. And so much of that is up to us!

If you don't find yourself thinking about Jesus, or wanting to be like Him-or if you don't find yourself drenched in His word, or if you don't find yourself in environments that it is inevitable that you will change and learn and have revelations, then ask yourself what is occupying your mind. What is driving you? What are you laying open before to keep you going? What are you feeding off of? Is your head in the game as a real Christian? Are you asking God for solutions, and ways to be like Him? Are you asking Him to change you and show you His will in all you do?

It takes a lot of courage to step in the direction of learning and growing. It's such hard work. I am in the middle of one now and my brain is going crazy! But God gives us responsibility, and if He thinks I'm ready for whatever revelations I have, I guess I am blessed.
Even though it might not want to be something you want to face about yourself-it's OK-your character will look more and more like Christ if you do.

It's some things that I don't even want to realize about myself or a situation-it's things I often have a hard time admitting. But God will know when I'm ready, and when you're ready. Just don't give up, and keep your head in GOD'S game!