Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

Ever notice how when you purpose to do something that things always seem to get worse before they get better? Start a diet only to find yourself hungrier than before you started it. Worse you suddenly notice your favorite fattening foods everywhere. Somehow the very same thing happens when we commit to God another aspect of our lives.

Is this what Jesus said in Luke 8:12, "... the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart..."

Or perhaps it's the old adage of there is no time like the present. In my latest quest to live what I believe I agree with God to discover Him as Provider and Provision.Suddenly there is less money, less income, more blown up deals than the day before the proclamation. All in order to immediate put the conviction to the test and prove it with faith.

I have always heard be careful what you pray for. I have also heard never pray for patience b/c God will put you in a situation where you need it in order to teach it to you.

There certainly is no lesson like a lesson you live. Studying, gaining knowledge, works good for theories, but there is nothing like life to teach you something for real.

Reality is it's all part of the dieing process. The death & burial of a human character flaw, and the resurrection of a godly one. It get's worse because dieing on any level sucks. Russell told me it's like someone drowning you. You can pretend at first. You can hold your breath, stay underwater and act like everything is ok. But at the end, when the death is imminent, everything in you will fight not to die. Same goes for those flaws. Perhaps circumstances really aren't worse. Perhaps the devil didn't even notice to come and steal anything. Perhaps it's just situational awareness where our sense of self suddenly has realized it's about to die. Perhaps the worse is really just the final kicks of a dieing dependence on something other than God.

In case you are curious about what triggered these thoughts. It is the fact that I just got an e-mail evaporating four months worth of work and nearly $4K in income. What an awesome opportunity to discover God as Provider and Provision. The expectancy that God is going to show up and do something is almost as exciting as my expectations are terrifying.

Here is an original piece by the worship team at Community of Faith. It says it all.  Live What I Believe

(Had a minor issue with the link... click the bar to hear the song)