Looking for a Drive Through Break Through?

In our fast paced world of drive through banking, groceries, alcohol, meals, and even marriages, I fear that few understand the benefits of long suffering.  It's like the commercial (local commercial??) where the guy yells; "It's my money, and I want it now!" It's advertising that if you have long time installment payments coming to you, you don't have to wait, you can get it all now...for a price, though.

 

You see, so many believe that the dreams that God has placed in our hearts don't come to pass overnight, there's something wrong. I've literally had people tell me that there was something wrong because the dreams that I believe are from God haven’t come to pass yet. That is a lie from the devil and is nothing but discouragement that was spoken to me through another Christian. Sure, I could push people around, tweak things in my favor and do what needs to be done to get what I want when I want it, they way I want it. But...would that be God's will for my life? Would it be His plan...or my plan?  Just because we hit what feels like a bump in the road, doesn't necessarily mean we're doing something wrong. There is learning in the journey. There is stretching and growing and testing of our faith in the journey. Don't despise the journey.  Don’t despise the possibility of long suffering. For myself, I come from a family who didn't know God for generations.  God has exposed and broken off so many generational hindrances that I can’t even count them.  I’ll say it again.  There is purpose in the journey.  Don’t despise long suffering through the journey.

 

The problem is that in today’s drive through society, most of us want it now.  We don’t want the journey.  We don’t want to endure long suffering.  We want instant gratification.

 

About 25 years ago, the Lord called me back unto Himself.  I wasn’t raised in a Christian home.  However, I had been fortunate to have attended a church camp where I received Christ as my Savior.  (At that point in my life, nightmares and sleepwalking which had occurred several nights a week came to an immediate end.) But since that relationship was hindered because my family wasn’t a believing family, I was nearly 25 years old before I was drawn into a serious relationship with Jesus.  I was broken…completely disabled by depression.  But, God!!  Two weeks after inviting God back into my life via Benny Hinn ministries, (Those of you who despise his ministry should realize that it takes all kinds of people to do God’s will.  None of us, including myself, have 100% of the answers.) God healed me instantly of the depression that was crippling my life.  God began the process of cleaning me up, preparing me for the purpose that He had created me for.

 

It’s been an interesting 24+ years. I’ve had good times.  I’ve had bad times.  But, one thing I can say is that there has been purpose in every moment of it.  Is there something wrong with me because my dreams didn’t come to pass immediately?  I can honestly say, “No!”

 

You see that depression, although I had been healed instantly from it in the beginning, did return.  It’s been something that I’ve had to deal with for many years.  But now it doesn’t have a hold on me like it did.  God healed me at the time because He saw fit that I should be healed.   But through the years, He has taught me to not only see it coming, but to fight it off with spiritual warfare.  It’s been a process of growing in knowledge, wisdom, and patience…all taught by the Holy Spirit simply because I have allowed Him into my life to do so.

 

I have had my moments where I didn’t understand why things happened the way they did.  I had moments where I’ve even been angry with God.  But, what I’ve learned is to always talk to God about it, whatever the “it” is for that moment.  He is so kind and loving and He cares about what we care about.  When I don’t understand something I ask Him and He shows me, in His timing.  This is why we should never despise the journey, and sometimes the suffering is long.

 

I’ve had many mountain top experiences, but I’ve had many valley experiences, also.  That doesn’t mean that His purpose for my life isn’t going to happen, because it will.  But when it does happen, it will be in His timing, not my own  This is a journey and we must do the walking.  Sometimes I have taken a step of faith only to see that it wasn’t the right direction.  He is ever so faithful the show me the way.

 

When I was getting ready for church this morning, all of these thoughts were rolling around in my head.  At first I thought this was going to be a one or two sentence “status update” for facebook.  But, as I began putting my thoughts down in my notes as David drove us to church, I realized that there was more to it.  Then…one thing I SO love about God is how He confirms things to me through other people.  Much of what I’m talking about here is what my pastor spoke about in his teaching this morning…including the “drive through mentality” that we have here in the western world.

 

Folks, it’s time to examine our hearts.  Do we truly want a meaningful relationship with God or not?  It’s our choice.  Jesus never said that a life of following, believing, trusting, and growing in Him would be easy.  But, I can tell you from my own experiences that it is worth it.  I am so different from the person I used to be and it’s all because of my own personal journey with Jesus.  I long to be more and more like Him.  I long to know and love Him more.  I long to hear His voice daily and throughout the day, not just in a single moment of prayer.  It is a journey, led by the Holy Spirit, and trusting that He knows what is best for me and any given moment.

 

My prayer is that any and all who reads this will experience a hunger for the God of all Creation no matter where you are in your walk of life…whether you know Him well, or not at all.  If you’re breathing, God has a purpose for your life.  It’s a matter of whether or not you choose to walk out your journey with Him.

 

Choose life.  Choose the journey that may involve long suffering instead of the supposed “drive through break through.”  You won’t be sorry. Your life already has divine purpose, but do you choose to live out that divine purpose?  Reach out to Jesus now.  He is there for each and every one of us, but we must choose him.  Choose Jesus.  Choose life.