CRUSHING

I  am just a few pages to the end of my current read ‘CRUSHING ‘, by Bishop T D Jakes. It is a book that summarizes what it takes to get wine out of grapes. These are the bites that stood out:

1. A hidden God is not equal to an absent God

There are clear periods in life we can refer to as the silence of God. Periods where it seems we are on our own and the voice of God is not audible. One thing we know though is that we never walk alone. Just because we don’t see air, does not mean we stop breathing. God is present, even in His silence. He finds us, but sometimes, we have to go seeking Him.

2. We allow our limited understanding of pain to drive us into by the arms of temporary idols.

Whenever our environments shift towards things that are unfamiliar, our initial response is to fall back on that which we had before. Any pain and discomfort therefore becomes a reason to return to what brought us comfort. These are often temporary, only providing brief respite: alcohol, food, or other addictions. Our pain is an expensive currency, they are like scars through which the grace of God can flow. Don’t waste yours.

3. God uses our valleys to prepare us for the peaks

Often, we wish we would be lifted up and placed straight at the top, with no detours, no valleys and no derailments. When these don’t happen, we ask why? Anybody can be put at the top, but there is skill to staying at the top. You may not be there because you still have to build further muscle and expand your capacity. It is literally God’s mercy, hence Him saying ‘wait’ or ‘not yet’. It is not hard to be promoted, but promotion in the absence of preparation will only accelerate destruction.

#sly