IBOGIRLLIVING

 

The inspiration for today's post came after watching Pastor Steven Furtick's interview with Bishop T.D Jakes on his book, CRUSHING. See here for that YouTube video after you read this and surely, you will be as blessed as I was.

There's plenty I got from watching that video and one thing I learned recently is that when the Holy Spirit is present, He interprets a message as it pertains to your specific situation or whatever you may be going through at the time. In other words, 10 people can watch the same video or read the same blog post and get 10 different interpretations from it. That's what the Spirit does so my prayer is that whatever it is you are seeking confirmation or clarity for in your life, you will get it from this post and the video.

1 Peter 5: 10 says:  

" But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you". KJV

There are times when things get frustrating and challenging and it seems like nothing in your life is working no matter how hard you may be trying. These are "crushing seasons" that we all experience. Some of us may have come out of ours, others are yet to enter into theirs and others still could be in the middle of it right now. Are you currently in your crushing season? If you are, this is when God is pruning you to prepare you for what may lay ahead and rather than get overwhelmed by the experiences to come, you receive strength and become settled because you have gone through a season of preparation. Crushing may manifest itself in different ways for different people but regardless of what your season looks like, the symbol of this time in your life resembles being separated, pushed out and/or cut off from comfort zones.

Being pruned by God is not without its reasons; for some this time is crucial for us to grow and learn how to fight our demons with the help of the Holy Spirit. Others need to go through this season to delete an arrogant or prideful spirit and learn to reverence God for His supremacy and goodness. Until we learn the things that God is trying to teach us, that may determine how long our crushing lasts.

It would serve those of us currently in our pruning season to see this time in obscurity as a gift and understanding the purpose it serves. One of the profound things that Bishop TD Jakes said in the video is that "those who God is going to anoint the most, He crushes the most severely". He also said that " crushing precedes exalting", causing us to soar as we rely on our God given abilities that have now been pruned and prepared for such a time. In as much as this season will be an uncomfortable and sometimes even borderline unbearable time, it is important to remember that it is a stage and not a destination. Your Crushing season is a process and not meant to be permanent.

The emblem of Christianity is a CROSS not a CROWN and the reward for overcoming your last challenge is your next challenge. Many of us seem to think that because we are Believers, we will not face difficulties, suffer heart-breaking loss, go through tough temptations or struggle with painful addictions but the truth is that God can and will take us where we need to be if we display consistent faith in our speech and attitude at all times.