It is impossible to grow in faith unless you have something to overcome. Life is about how we meet problems, difficulties, and adversity and in the process of learning how we rise up and surmount such obstacles. An authentic life in the spirit requires both training and proving. Jesus learned obedience by the things that He experienced (Hebrews 5:8).
Every day we experience situations that form part of our development process. As the lessons take hold of us, the truth that we are learning must be established in us so that we are changing into the likeness of the Lord. Truth not established is merely true. We can know what is truth conceptually, but until it has set us free, we have not become it in experience. We must prove that we are the truth in Christ and we can only do that by exhibiting our freedom.
Every circumstance revolves around the formation of Christ in us. He is our inheritance and we are joint heirs with him. He is our promise and our provision, because He is all and in all. When we experience a negative, we must also encounter the positive that comes with it. Our question to the Holy Spirit is, “How is this situation going to form Christ in me?” Alternatively we can ask, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12) and “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).
What does this circumstance mean for our growth and development? How do we partner with the Holy Spirit to allow breakthrough to occur? We are encompassed in life by the promise of Christ in us, the expectation of glory. Therefore, every situation can have glory as part of the equation. We stand in the promise of God looking for the provision. We focus on the positive and never the negative. We watch, we pray, and we learn how to stand, press in, and receive under pressure.
The promise, not the problem, is our prime focus. We gain awareness of the will of God. The promise allows us to relax, rejoice, and respond appropriately in faith. We have a sense of purpose that e are unwilling to relinquish. Our attitude and approach is that a problem proves the existence of a promise. All we must do is explore the promise that is also present so that we know how to stand and what to confess.
The promise details the provision in front of us. As we move out, the faith that works by love stimulates us to discover what the Father’s intentions toward us are. He is faithful and we are embracing His faithfulness.
*This blog is an excerpt from Graham’s book Radical Perceptions.
You can find this book, and other books by Graham Cooke, at www.brilliantbookhouse.com.
