In Order to Grow, You Must Let Things Break.

Walking in the Way is always a process. We are always subject to change, so we need a joyful mindset about it—a mindset that enjoys the journey will always travel well.

Most of the time the process is sweet, fun, and exciting. We get to see God in all His beauty. This is vital, otherwise adoration is not possible. Then there are moments where the process is tough, relentless, and heartbreaking. We learn to bow down and kiss the hand that hurts.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12)4

It is at times like this where we discover the true nature of the Comforter.

Only God can bring us comfort from the rod.

If we take comfort from elsewhere we cannot grow as much as He would like. The righteous God tests our hearts and minds (Psalm 7:9). Some of the process with which we engage is not concerned with just change, but more so the discovery of who God is for us.

The Lord must bring us face to face with what we are like without the Christ. We must learn how stubborn and willful we are as we get introduced to the worst parts of our sin habit.

God will not do this without permission.

Somewhere in our past, our hearts became so full of love and longing for the Lord that we gave Him permission to do whatever He wanted in our lives, in order that we might be changed.

Initially nothing happened; but trust me, the prayer was filed away, only waiting for the right moment to be answered.

Everyone of us gets to points in our lives where something in us has to break before we can move on to the next level of relationship and anointing.

There may be hardness in us because of previous hardships or a bigger experience. Or there may be a besetting sin that constantly overcomes our desire for righteousness. We may have poor attitudes or a victim spirit. It may be that our self-reliance prevents us from experiencing God’s fullness.

It could be that we need to be humbled, not because we have an excess of pride, but because of what the Lord is calling us up to in life and ministry.

Humility is more necessary the higher the calling is.5

The struggle makes no sense until we realize that it is not about sin. It is about the will that is behind it. The sin just represents the power of our own independence.9

The part of our life that we did not know we were holding back is now rising up within and we realize that it has been killing us for some time! It is the one thing that prevents us, at this time, from fully experiencing the beauty of true fellowship with God.

Brokenness takes us to a far more powerful place of value and relationship.4

Death turns into life. In the time of being broken, we discover a level of fellowship with God that takes us out of the grip of the enemy by taking us firmly into the secret place of abiding.

- Graham Cooke