As I sit here. In pain. Again. I reflect a different proposal other than that of complaint. A proposal that says the process of even this very painful, hard time is a reflection of Christs’ love for me. Where beauty can be sought out and joy found… abundantly. That grace can weave its way through the broken dreams, broken promises, painful memories, and any other “problem” or “pain” we may have at this moment, in the past, or in the future.
What if it has nothing to do with us and everything to do with a “bigger” picture?
That we have been chosen, yes, chosen to be a part of— allowed to be seen in…considered to be an important piece of…
It’s like a large jigsaw puzzle with not hundreds, or even of thousands of pieces….millions of pieces. Because you see, eternity is more than a million pieces. It is so long and so rich we cannot begin to see the bigger picture or have a complete eternal understanding of what it means to have pain, to have sorrow, to have loss right here at this moment in order to fulfill the will that is not our own.
“while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NASB)
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” – 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NKJV)
It is time to ask the how questions (not just the why) for the why questions may never, as in never in the rest of our time here, be answered, yet— the how questions can be.
Seeking first our Lord and Savior and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the how, can, and will, move us forward. Not only will it move us forward… it can cause the essential change (changes) in our lives that must come forth in order to complete that bigger picture. You see, having an eternal perspective (God’s perspective) is essential, for we are here for a moment, a slight glimpse in time, and it is important that our time here fully reflects (in every way) Christ.
What does this mean? How can we reflect such a beautiful God that has an unfathomable character when we are so imperfect— mentally, physically, and emotionally? What “how” questions need to be asked, and even if we ask them, how can we hear God clearly?
I want you to consider for a moment to stop looking in at self. Stop seeing the obstacles, the pain, and the words that are anything but a reflection of Him. Move these things out of the way and unveil your heart to reveal the heart of God. We have access. WE HAVE ACCESS to the mind of Christ. Ask Holy Spirit to come upon you to reveal to you, who God is, and what His thoughts for you are.
“But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” -1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NASB)
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Bloom and Reed
Featured Image by Christos Giakkas from Pixabay
