I keep replaying the words Hannah sang this Sunday in my mind: “Your almost home now…please don’t quit now.”
It brought me to a deep place with the Lord where I had to confess to Him; “I’m exhausted Lord, just so exhausted trying to grow and run this race well.”
In the past few weeks it has felt like one attack after another…you know how that feels, right? The enemy keeps knocking you down, only for you to stand up and get hit again.
Just the other day I had someone confront me, saying that I had settled into one of my fears and had chosen not to grow.
Ouch. How that hurt.
In the tenderness of correction, Jesus brought me back to a few passages on discipline:
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11, ESV)
And, Hebrew 12:6, “For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (NLT)
This all came full circle when Pastor Jason started talking about wearing “clothes” that don’t fit. Often times, we are walking around with old spiritual habits, like old clothes that don’t fit. Why do we do this? Because growth is often painful and scary.
In this particular area of my life in which my friend confronted me, I was handling things the way I always had (wearing the same old clothes), when God was calling me out to have greater faith and to move forward.
What I love about Jesus is that He is constantly in the business of molding and shaping us.
He wants us to grow.
He doesn’t want us to keep wearing the same old clothes that don’t fit, or that have holes and are worn out.
He wants us to put on new clothes that actually fit.
This life is too precious and He cares too much to leave us in one place.
One of the things I’ve been walking through in the last couple weeks is the loss of a dear family member, my Aunt Nancy. I miss her terribly, but I rejoice knowing she is with Jesus.
As my heart has been tender these last few weeks, the song that Hannah sang hit an even deeper chord. Knowing we are “almost home” at any minute really puts things into perspective.
We never know when He will call us home. We never know when that glorious moment will be. And when it happens…I want to be wearing the right clothes…don’t you?
Don’t you want to say that you walked in spiritual maturity? That when God called you to step into a higher calling of living…you answered the call?
How humbling it is to walk hand-in-hand with a Savior that is correcting us as we go. But I rejoice to know that one day we will be presented as His perfect bride:
“He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.”
(Ephesians 5:25b-26, NLT)
It brought me to a deep place with the Lord where I had to confess to Him; “I’m exhausted Lord, just so exhausted trying to grow and run this race well.”
In the past few weeks it has felt like one attack after another…you know how that feels, right? The enemy keeps knocking you down, only for you to stand up and get hit again.
Just the other day I had someone confront me, saying that I had settled into one of my fears and had chosen not to grow.
Ouch. How that hurt.
In the tenderness of correction, Jesus brought me back to a few passages on discipline:
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11, ESV)
And, Hebrew 12:6, “For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (NLT)
This all came full circle when Pastor Jason started talking about wearing “clothes” that don’t fit. Often times, we are walking around with old spiritual habits, like old clothes that don’t fit. Why do we do this? Because growth is often painful and scary.
In this particular area of my life in which my friend confronted me, I was handling things the way I always had (wearing the same old clothes), when God was calling me out to have greater faith and to move forward.
What I love about Jesus is that He is constantly in the business of molding and shaping us.
He wants us to grow.
He doesn’t want us to keep wearing the same old clothes that don’t fit, or that have holes and are worn out.
He wants us to put on new clothes that actually fit.
This life is too precious and He cares too much to leave us in one place.
One of the things I’ve been walking through in the last couple weeks is the loss of a dear family member, my Aunt Nancy. I miss her terribly, but I rejoice knowing she is with Jesus.
As my heart has been tender these last few weeks, the song that Hannah sang hit an even deeper chord. Knowing we are “almost home” at any minute really puts things into perspective.
We never know when He will call us home. We never know when that glorious moment will be. And when it happens…I want to be wearing the right clothes…don’t you?
Don’t you want to say that you walked in spiritual maturity? That when God called you to step into a higher calling of living…you answered the call?
How humbling it is to walk hand-in-hand with a Savior that is correcting us as we go. But I rejoice to know that one day we will be presented as His perfect bride:
“He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.”
(Ephesians 5:25b-26, NLT)
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. She also hosts the weekly podcast “Temple Care” where she provides regular messages of encouragement. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.