[I am updating these posts to make them shorter and better, and with more Bible verses. Click here for the updated introduction.]
Psalm
14:2: “The Lord looks
down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any
who seek God.”
Maybe you’re thinking, Okay, so I
am ready to start this challenge. I want
to become diligent in my relationship with the Lord. I want to draw ever nearer to Him and to live
a life that is glorifying to Him. I want
to be humbled at His feet. I want Him to
prune away anything that may be hindering my relationship with Him, so that I
can have a deeper, more genuine, more vibrant relationship with Him. How can I do this? How can I become Sweetly Broken?
I’ll be
honest, when I first thought about writing this guidebook, I was thinking about
making it a kind of checklist to follow.
A formula that, if followed, would lead to brokenness. But as I really examined and thought about my
own journey through the furnace, I realized that I didn’t get to that point by
my efforts. I could not have gotten
there apart from the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is about the Holy Spirit working through
us, as we humbly submit to Him and seek to know the truth about ourselves and
follow in obedience. And there is no
guaranteed “formula.”
This journey
cannot be taken without being intimately connected to God through His Word and
through prayer, with a sensitive heart.
There is no effort on our part - no formula or exercise - that can
produce the kind of change in our hearts that will lead us to brokenness and
humility. It is all about our heart’s
softness to God’s Truth (as found in His Word) and to His leading in
prayer. We cannot force Him to work in
us, but we need to be willing and receptive to follow Him and to let Him work
in us through the Holy Spirit.
At the heart
of this journey is a desire for Him, not just for what He can give us and do
for us, but a burning desire for more of Him
in our every day.
It is about
being tired of complacency, tired of being comfortable parked on the side of
the road in our spiritual growth.
It is a
hunger for personal holiness that is so strong that we are willing to be
refined - and willing to invite and face the trials that will produce it.
(Be
forewarned, though, that the trials that have the potential for the greatest
growth and that lead to the greatest blessings are also usually the most
painful and slow-moving to go through.)
It is
wanting, above and beyond all, to be close to Him and to glorify Him in all we
say and do. And this means being willing
to be pruned - pruned of things that are not glorifying to Him and that hinder
our relationship with Him and that keep us from shining for Him as brightly as
we can. If these are things that you
desire (although I admit that it is scary to enter this kind of territory), I
challenge you to be willing to tackle it deliberately, seriously, and
earnestly. And this is the Through the Refining Fire Challenge!
[And please,
please, please, let me add something here.
Just because I have been through my own furnace doesn’t mean that I
“have it all together.” I am no
holier-than-thou, super-righteous person.
I am human. I am so, so
human. Just read my other blogs. I fall back into old ways, old habits, and
old sins. I fall back into fear,
discouragement, faithlessness, despair, and disobedience way too often. I definitely struggle with pride and being
judgmental and controlling my tongue more than I wish I did. And I never seem to be able to learn a lesson
just once. So I will end up in the
furnace again and again, in one way or another, as life goes on. Because I certainly have not learned all that
there is to learn. Nor will I ever on
this side of eternity.
I say all
this up front so that no one ever - ever! - puts me up on a pedestal of any kind. (And I say this because I know of my tendency
to think of authors as “special” or more holy, living the charmed life. Their coffee somehow tastes richer. Their chicken never burns. Their shingles don’t ever blow off of their
roofs. And their laundry amazingly
washes and folds itself, as soft instrumental music plays in the
background. Certainly, they don’t have
piles of laundry that they actually have to wash themselves, do
they? They can’t be that normal,
right?)
My fear is that someone would think
that I am more than I am. And then, when
I say or do something very human or very wrong - which I will most likely do at
some point, you know, being human and all - they would feel let down by me, and
it would affect their view of the God that I am following and trying to be
like.
Don’t hold
Him accountable for my – for anyone’s - mistakes.
Any truth
that I share is from Him and He deserves the glory for it - because all truth is
from Him and all glory is His.
But I take full responsibility for anything I say or do that is ungodly
or off-base. I am human, and I will sin
and stumble and misspeak. Please, do not
think more of me than you should. I am
simply sharing what I’ve learned from my journey - from the mistakes that I
have made and the pain that I have gone through - in case someone else can
learn from it, too.]
It is my
hope that there are those out there who desire a challenge like this. Who are willing to face the pain and the
trials that will come, knowing that they are meant to refine and teach and
drive them closer to the Lord and make their lives more vibrant, meaningful,
and complete. And it is to you that I
issue this challenge and ask you to join me in the pursuit of righteousness. Of healing.
Of brokenness. So that you may
experience the Love you were made for, the healing you so desire, and the
vibrant life that brings you the joy you desire and brings Him the glory He
deserves.
Oh, the
impact we could have for Christ on this world and the depth of His love that we
would experience if a generation of Christians sought to be broken before
Him!
[I want to
stress something here: When I say we need to be seeking “righteousness” or
living righteously, I am not referring to performing righteous acts out of a
sense of legalism, or to make ourselves look better or feel better, or to
attain some level of favor with God. For
God is not pleased with these filthy, righteous acts - these attempts to earn
favor, mercy, or grace. And I am not
referring to our righteous standing in God’s eyes because of His sacrifice for
us, for that is always secure for all believers. We are not “righteous” in God’s eyes by
anything we do.
But we do
have a responsibility to do our best to live righteously. To submit all areas of our lives to Him as
the Holy Spirit calls us. To strive to
be holy, as He is holy. We need to abide
in Him more and more, getting rid of the things that do not glorify Him and
adding the things that do, so that our lives reflect Him more and more and
bring Him the most glory possible. And
this comes from humbling yourself before God, being broken before Him. This is what I am talking about when I say
“pursue righteousness.”]
The Details
Okay,
so, now onto the details. This journey
to brokenness is not a straightforward process, nor a guaranteed process. And it’s not even really a “process.” It is not a linear thing where you follow
steps A, B, and C to get results X, Y, and Z.
God does not work according to our methods and timetables. This challenge - this guidebook - is just a
tool, a tool to encourage you, guide you, help you, and inspire you.
You and God do the real work. You, in your desire to be broken and your
willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit and to obey. And God does the healing, revealing, and
rebuilding through the work of the Holy Spirit.
It all lies with the softness of your heart, your willingness to be
refined and pruned, and your ability to listen to what God is telling you and
to obey. (I know that I keep saying
this, but it’s because I’m really trying to emphasize our complete reliance and
dependence on God and His wisdom, mercy, and grace.)
I think that
this is what makes all the difference between those who grow through trials and
those who don’t - you have to be conscientious about it. You have to say, “Lord, show me and teach me
what You are doing here. Give me eyes to
see and ears to hear and the strength to obey.
I trust You.”
The person
who faces trials and just becomes bitter or hard-hearted, instead of being
humbled or taught, misses out on enormousness opportunities for growth. A wasted trial! Seek to be deliberate and conscientious.
The steps
and questions in this guidebook are just starting points to open up your heart
and mind to the Spirit, to help you dig deeper to see where there may be hidden
fears, misconceptions, self-protective walls, hidden sins, or lazy
disciplines. They are to get you
thinking more deeply and seriously about your life and your relationship with
the Lord. Most likely, a majority of
them won’t reveal anything new to you.
But some will. Listen to what the
Holy Spirit is trying to teach you when your heart or mind is touched by
something.
I believe that these are the crucial pieces of this journey
to brokenness:
- the desire
to be humbled/broken,
- absolute
honesty with yourself and absolute transparency before God,
- a habit of
being still before God and learning to listen,
- a
commitment to obedience,
- a
commitment to the Bible,
- a
commitment to prayer,
- uncovering
the misconceptions that we have about ourselves and replacing them with the
truth,
- and
uncovering the misconceptions we have about God and replacing those with biblical
truth.
There may
also be a need to go through a time of waiting - of God’s silence - and a need
to clean up other areas of your life, striving for godliness.
Now, let me
tell you a secret about brokenness . . . you don’t really even need this
guidebook. Seriously! If you have those things listed above, and
you will dig deep into your heart and the Word and prayer, and you will listen
to God and learn from Him and submit yourself to Him, He will lead you on the
journey to brokenness. In fact, if you
don’t want to do all the questions and work in this guidebook but you do want
to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to be more God-glorifying, then simply
skip all of the following sections and pray something like this instead:
“Dear
God, please change me to be more like You.
Help me to learn to need You and Your Word and prayer. Help me learn to hear You, and give me the
wisdom and strength to respond, to be obedient, and to seek righteousness. For Your glory! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I do think
that there is great value in the questions and challenges that I have presented
in this guidebook. But I also know that
God doesn’t need these in order to work in your life. He has His own mysterious ways of leading us
to brokenness and to healing. Maybe you
start this journey using this book, but very quickly feel that God is saying to
put it down and follow Him in a different direction. Go with Him wherever He takes you.
This
guidebook, once again, is not a guaranteed, magical book. It is simply a jumpstart, a tool for inspiration
and illumination. But the Bible is fully
adequate to be your only source of inspiration and illumination. It is THE source for Truth, and the Bible is
what I will base all of this guidebook on.
That’s where the real journey takes place and how real change
happens. Commit yourself to daily Bible
reading and prayer and see what happens.
I can hear
it now . . . Daily Bible reading? Daily
prayer? I just don’t have that kind of
time!
Oh, well then, let me add to your
misery: One more thing that I think is
extremely important and beneficial is . . . journaling! Yes, that’s right, getting out a pen and
paper (or some tech gadget) and writing down what God is doing in your life and
what challenges or insights He is giving you.
A
journal? Ugh! You’re going to make me write! No, I am not. You’re going to write only if you want
to. But I highly recommend it. It’s just a fact that we are out-of-sight,
out-of-mind people. We are like water;
we take the path of least resistance and flow to the laziest, lowest level that
we can get away with. So of course,
journaling goes against those lazy, comfortable instincts because it requires
diligence and effort. And we don’t like
that. But I believe that journaling will
greatly strengthen, hasten, and increase the effect that this journey will have
on you.
We remember
things better when we go through the process of writing them down. And when we write down the things that we are
struggling with or thinking, oftentimes other insights come to the surface. And we can come back to these things later
when life interrupts and thoughts need to be put aside. Journaling will make the whole process much
smoother and more effective.
Journal what
God tells you along the way. This helps
slow us down and makes us more conscientious, it helps us see truths and
problem areas, and to evaluate how the journey is going. It also helps us to be honest. We can oftentimes run from the truth when we
keep ourselves busy, too busy to think.
But slowing down and putting them on paper makes it harder to ignore
them.
1
Kings 19:12 says that
God whispers. “
. . . And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
God whispers. Which is why He always says, “He who has
ears, let him hear.” He doesn’t force us
to listen. But He’s always speaking to
those who want to hear.
I know that
there are those who would rather eat fire than journal. And for you I would recommend that you look
at “journaling” as just “jotting down.”
Jot down current struggles, answers to prayer, and what God reveals to
you each day. You don’t need a lot of
words, just a few sentences to keep track of your journey.
Or maybe
journaling for you means writing out your prayers and the answers to them. Maybe it’s full pages of thoughts and feelings. Whatever it is, write it down. It’s not for anyone else; it’s just for
you.
And if you
are trying to come up with some excuse for why you can’t journal - I don’t
even have ten extra minutes to jot things down (or read my Bible or pray) - I
would suggest that maybe you explore why you are so busy and can’t make
time. For many of us, these are excuses
to absolve ourselves of any sense of responsibility or guilt in not pursuing
God whole-heartedly.
We make time
for what matters to us. And so if you are
looking for excuses, the first thing you might want to explore with the Holy
Spirit is why you are looking for
excuses, why this isn’t that important to you.
You will only get out of this journey (out of your Christian walk) what
you put into it. The more thought,
effort, conscientiousness, and willingness that you bring into this journey,
the greater the benefits. It really
comes down to how much you search for God and His Truth with your mind, soul,
heart, and strength.
Alone or With a Partner?
Now, here’s
another point to consider: This journey
can be taken on your own or with a partner.
And you can decide how it should be for you and what it will look like. Maybe you decide to work through the steps
and the questions on your own, just between you and God. Keep a journal of what God is showing you and
how He is asking you to change or grow.
Or maybe you
want to take this journey with a like-minded partner (or a few of them). In that case, I recommend finding a trusted
friend (or your spouse) to work through the questions and challenges at about
the same time as you. (I recommend a
same-gender friend, if you are not partnering with your spouse. Friends of the same gender often understand
each other better than those of different genders. Just my opinion.) Then you can meet regularly for sharing what
God is teaching you and for prayer support.
We are not
made as islands in this life. God made
us to be a community of people that lift each other up: to support, encourage,
pray for, and challenge each other.
Don’t let this valuable resource go unused if you feel that God has
brought a “furnace partner” to mind.
And speaking
of working with other people, if you are someone who has been severely hurt or
abused in the past, please have the phone number of a church leader, Christian
counselor, close friend, or family member available, or take this journey with
a partner. So that if sometime during
this challenge you find yourself deep in grief and despair, you have someone to
lean on to help you through. Some people
have pasts that are so hurtful that they shouldn’t attempt to go back and face
them without the loving, wise care of a fellow Christian or mental-health professional. I wouldn’t want anyone to end up in severe
depression or suicidal because they couldn’t face the pain that came up.
God made us
to be a community of believers, a family that looks out for each other, lifts each
other up in prayer, and builds each other up in love. I think we all need this kind of support throughout
our life. But it’s up to you if you’d
like a partner on this journey or not.
My personal
choice would be to work with a close friend.
I love the “iron sharpens iron” aspect.
I love in-depth, spiritual conversations. I love encouraging each other on our walks
with Christ. And I highly value the
prayer support.
[But things
don’t always work out as planned.
It wouldn’t
be right if I didn’t give credit to my friend, Jen, right now. She and I started a challenge similar to this
one together. Actually, we developed the
fore-runner to this challenge when we decided to start a year-long challenge as
partners. We called it the Lemon Tree
Challenge.
We were
going to take verses from the Bible that we believed God was challenging us on,
and we were going to diligently seek to apply them to our lives for a year and
see what God did through them.
We wanted to
root out the “lemons” in our lives - the sinful patterns and lazy disciplines -
and to let God turn them into “lemonade.”
We would encourage each other, phone weekly to discuss progress, and
seek prayer support from each other. We
would have gotten together for coffee once a week if we could have, but since
she’s an hour away, we had to settle for phone calls.
We were both
committed to diligently seeking after God and trying to live more godly
lives. So we started the challenge as
partners. At the beginning of this
challenge, we met for dinner and had a prayer “kickoff” to start the year. We acknowledged that trials would come. We knew that we were inviting retaliation
from the enemy. And so we sought to
cover this project in prayer and to stick with it and with each other.
But, as I
said, things don’t always go as planned.
And, literally, just a day or two after we met for the kickoff, Jen’s
husband lost his job. And within a few
months, due to compounding stressors, she was plunged into a furnace of her
own. And our plans to partner in this
challenge came to an abrupt halt.
For months,
she kept apologizing to me for letting me down.
But I told her that we are all on our own journey with God. He calls us down our own paths, and sometimes
it’s a path where no one else can walk with us but God. And so I had to accept that our journey
together as partners was over before it even started.
I decided
instead to continue on alone. Well, with
God, of course. And I realized that God
had His plans. We may not have gone
forward in the journey as I had hoped and planned, but God had helped me to
come out of my own furnace just a few months before Jen went into hers. And so I was able to be the kind of support
for Jen that she needed as she walked through her painful time. (At least, I hope I was good support, Jen.)
I had been there in the silence and the pain before, and so I had some
real encouragement that I could give. I
knew about hanging in there during the pain.
And I was able to help her stand when she couldn’t stand on her own. And that’s what Christian friends are
for.
Yes, I am
still rather lonely for a prayer partner, another woman that I could meet with
regularly for coffee or dessert. But God
has not provided that right now. And I
know that He has His reasons. In fact,
as time goes on, I realize that if God had allowed me to have a partner to talk
things over with, I would have been less likely to have written this guidebook
and most of my blogs and many parts of Child of Mine, my life story over at https://sweetlybrokengirl.blogspot.com.
These things
came out, in part, of the frustration of not having a partner to talk with. Because then I spent more time talking things
over with God and writing them down. And
so I give God glory for that. He had
something better in mind. (And I know
that God has greater plans for Jen than even she knows, and He will someday use
her journey through the furnace for His glory and His kingdom.)
The reason I
bring all this up is because life throws us curveballs and we have to be
willing to adjust. If you decide to do
this with a partner, but they drop out or go in a different direction, commit
to sticking to the path that God has called you down, even if it means going
alone. Your commitment is not so much to
another person as it is to yourself and God.
Don’t let a disappointment or a change-of-plans be an excuse to give
up. Follow God where He leads, even when
it’s not the path you intended on taking.
You will find many twists and turns on a journey through the furnace.]
If you are
fortunate to find a like-minded partner, make sure that it is a trusted, honest
friend who will commit to loving honesty and to keeping things private. And make sure that you both respect the way
God is working in the other person’s life.
Your partner will not be going through this challenge in the same way as
you, and God will not be working in their heart and life the same way He works
in yours. We need to respect this and
resist the urge to think that we are more godly/advanced/wise than our partner
just because they are not at the same point we are or haven’t discovered the
same “truths” that we have on our journey.
Because there are things they have learned that we haven’t.
We need to
be able to lovingly challenge and encourage each other, and yet to accept where
they are and what God is doing in their lives.
This challenge is ultimately between ourselves and the Lord. Our partner is there for prayer support,
encouragement, insight, clarity, to lean on, for accountability, to keep us
going and on track, and to help us when we fall. And because it’s exciting to share what God
is doing in our lives with close friends.
Also, I
would like to suggest something else about this journey. It’s small, but it’s a great, little
reminder. Wear something or display
something to remind you of your challenge.
It is far too easy for us to start a project with enthusiasm and zeal,
but then to let it slip away because it’s not yet a habit or discipline for
us. But to have a concrete reminder of
our journey and goal, such as a bracelet, painted finger nail, a ring, a
certain necklace, something tied on our shoelace, a plaque in our house, etc.,
is a great encourager and good reminder.
(Which is why I think having a journal is a good idea, too. It’s a concrete “reminder” of the journey we
are on.)
It is not
necessary, but there are those who will enjoy this part. I myself have been wearing a simple WWJD
bracelet for over a year now. I don’t
wear this so much for the goal of always asking myself “What would Jesus do?”
(although that is a good practice that I should be doing anyway), but for
turning my heart and mind to God and for helping me be more deliberate about
it. I don’t do it for anyone else; it’s
for me. It’s something between God and
myself.
I find that
slipping it on in the morning helps me to remember what, or I should say Whom,
I want to be focusing on for the day.
Sometimes, I will be letting my mind wander when my eye catches a
glimpse of it on my wrist, and then I am reminded to pray or to turn my mind to
God. Or I will be anxious about
something, but then I’ll see it and suddenly relax because I am reminded that
God is there with me.
Of course,
this doesn’t mean that if I chose not to wear it that I am falling away or any
less committed to Him. Sometimes, I just
forget to put it back on for a week or so after I have taken it off. But for me, right now, it’s a reminder that I
like to have. (And it does help remind
me to be careful about how I speak to and treat others, because they can see it
on my wrist, too. And that is a great
thing to be reminded about.)
You don’t
have to do anything like this if you don’t want to. It’s a personal choice. But I think we could use every bit of help
“remembering” that we can get. Even God
knows our ability to forget, and so He encourages visible reminders and yearly
traditions to His people throughout the Bible.
(Not idols or mystical trinkets, but reminders that draw our attention
back to God.) I think that the more
deliberate we are about trying to keep on this journey, the better it will
go.
Pieces of the Puzzle
Okay, so
what I have done in each section of this guide is to look at one piece of the
journey. I was going to call them
“steps” (and I do sometimes) but that would make it sound like you had to
approach them in a certain order and that they would lead to brokenness as long
as you successfully finished each step.
But I call
them “pieces” because they are more like pieces of a puzzle. They are all important, but you might not
work through them all in the order they are in.
Nor do we “finish” a step and move onto the next. Many times, like a puzzle without a box-cover
to look at, we have to contemplate each piece and mull them over and shuffle
them around as the Holy Spirit digs deeper and deeper into our hearts and
minds.
And so here
again are the pieces that you will explore:
Piece
One: The Desire to be Broken
Piece
Two: Honesty with Yourself and
Transparency Before the Lord
Piece
Three: Learning to Listen and Be Still
Piece
Four: Radical Commitment to
Obedience
Piece
Five: The Word of God
Piece
Six: The Importance of Prayer
Piece
Seven: A Correct View of You
Piece
Eight: A Correct View of God
Piece
Nine: A Time of Waiting
Piece
Ten: Additional Challenges or Verses to
Help You Strive for Righteousness
In each
section, I explain why this piece is important and what it looks like. I also try to include biblical support for
it, challenges that relate to it, questions for reflection to help you dig
deeper and find Truth, and prayer and Bible reading ideas to bring it all back
to the only thing that can lead to healing - God.
I try to
include sample prayers, but if you don’t want to use these, say what’s really
on your heart. This is what God wants
from us anyway - honesty and transparency.
Either way, always go into these challenges and questions with
prayer. This, let me stress once again,
is not meant to be done in our own power.
But only with the Holy Spirit’s power and wisdom and strength and
guidance.
John
16:13: “But when he, the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”
And, ironically, it is not even meant
to be done by focusing on ourselves.
Although this challenge is about taking a good, long look at ourselves,
our focus should not end at ourselves or at changing ourselves. Our efforts won’t get it done. It is only the Holy Spirit working through us
that will bring success. It is meant to
be done with our eyes squarely on the Lord and with letting Him search us, call
us, and mold us, so that we can glorify Him and He can shine the light of truth
into our lives. Look at your life and
yourself through the filter of the Bible, prayer, and the Holy Spirit’s
illumination.
I recommend taking time to really dig
into the Word and to spend a lot of time in prayer over each piece, over the
Bible passages and the questions. The
“Questions for Reflection” are ones that I believe are important to answer
honestly in ourselves and before the Lord.
But we don’t often take the time to seriously reflect upon questions
like these. We take so much about
ourselves and the Lord for granted that we don’t stop to reflect enough about
why we believe, think, or do certain things.
But part of this journey is to be more deliberate and
conscientious.
And so whenever
you see “Questions for Reflection,” I recommend that you spend adequate time on
each one, asking God to examine your heart and mind and to bring up anything
that you need to face. And adequate time
may mean spending several weeks on one section or question. If you feel any unrest or excitement or
conviction in your spirit over any piece, spend as much time as it takes on
that one thing. Journal whatever
insights God gives you about each one - or any questions, doubts, fears, or
concerns that come up - so that you can come back to it later or work on it
over a stretch of time. And discuss them
with your partner, if you have one.
Remember, we
can’t just answer a few questions over coffee one morning, cross them off of
our lists, and think that we will reach brokenness. It is critical to have a heart that is
sensitive to the Spirit and a willingness to go wherever He takes you and to
obey whatever He asks you to do. So do
not rush this process. Go at the pace
God sets. Remember, we follow - not lead
- on this journey. The point is to be
constantly in communion with God through this process.
And always
remember to practice thanksgiving as you go, for anything and everything you
can find to be thankful for. This will
turn your mind to God’s goodness and it will help keep the enemy away, because
he thrives on and is invited in by things like discouragement and
frustration.
And so, as
you start this journey, this is my prayer for you:
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you
may know him better. I pray also that
the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope
to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the
saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. . . . ” (Ephesians 1:17-19)
Always pray
for wisdom and revelation for yourself (and your partner) as you enter a new section
or question or if the Holy Spirit pricks your conscience about anything. The key to change, remember, is in your
willingness to go where God leads you.
If you are
willing, God can work in you and can use you.
But if you are not willing, He will not force you to change. He will pursue you and He will discipline
you, but if you choose to be hard-hearted, He will let you. And He will let you reap the consequences of
it. But if you are soft of heart and are
teachable and willing, He can work miracles and healing in your life. And your relationship with Him will be
vibrant, alive, fulfilling, and so glorifying to Him.
The choice
is yours! Shall we continue?
A Quick Review Before
Starting:
1.
First take some time to pray over and decide if you should go through
this on your own or with a partner (or maybe a small group of friends, like a
Bible study). Make arrangements if you
choose to do this with a partner(s).
[You and
your partner may want to read my journey to brokenness in my book, Child of
Mine, at https://sweetlybrokengirl.blogspot.com
before starting Through the
Furnace. A lot of what I put here is
based on that. Warning: It is a long, rambling book … so at a
minimum, you might want to skip the first section and just read the “Growing Down” and “Growing Faith” sections to get a foundation for the work in this
guide. But you don’t need to,
though. Everything should still make
sense, even if you don’t read Child of
Mine. So don’t sweat it. FYI, I also included a list of discussion questions for my book if you want to make it a “book club” thing. Find it under the “labels.”]
2.
Whenever you sit down to read, get out your journal and your Bible and
find a quiet place. Quiet your heart and
be ready to listen for any truth or guidance that the Holy Spirit gives you.
3.
Pray over every step and every question.
Pray that God gives you wisdom and insight and strength to face the
truth. And cover this whole journey in
prayer, asking for protection from the enemy.
By starting this journey, you will make yourself a huge bull’s-eye for
the devil. He will want nothing more
than to hinder your progress to holiness and brokenness. Maintain your spiritual armor and pray often
for God’s protection.
4.
Walk through these sections and questions slowly because God doesn’t
always work quickly, but He does work thoroughly if we are willing to wait
before Him. If you are working with a
partner, you might want to work on the questions for each piece ahead of time
on your own. And then meet to discuss
them after you are both finished with the same section.
5.
Journal whatever He reveals or things for further reflection. And go only at the pace that God leads you. This journey could take months or years. If you rush it, you might miss a lot of
depth.
6.
Notice also any resistance to any question. That’s usually a good indication that there
is something there that you should explore deeper.
7.
When you read any Bible verses, read them slowly and thoughtfully. Chew slowly on each part, every word, before
moving onto the next. Oftentimes, there
will be one tiny part of a verse that the Holy Spirit wants to challenge us on,
but it is so easy to read right past it.
I think that many of us who know the Bible well tend to see the first
few words of a passage, and then we recite the rest in our head really fast as
we skim over the words on the page.
Resist the urge to let “Oh, I already know this one” cause you to miss
what God wants to say to you through it TODAY!
If you read slowly and thoughtfully, you’ll see the Word come alive!
In the next
post, we move on to the first (and a really critical) piece of the journey:
letting God know of your desire to be humbled.
(If you are
not a Christian - if you have not committed your life to Christ, but you want
to know how - then the first step for you would be starting a relationship with
God. I tell you how to go about doing that
in the post “Starting Your Own Relationship with Jesus Christ (and Why We Need Him)” at https://sweetlybrokengirl.blogspot.com
and https://myimpressionisticlife.blogspot.com.)
(Click for the next post: Piece One: The Desire to be Broken)
