“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” Philippians 3:12 NLT

 Every birthday is an opportunity for reflection. Don’t you think? When I was young every birthday was an opportunity to reflect on possibilities. As I have aged, although possibilities are still part of the reflection process, birthdays have become more about processing lessons learned. August is my birthday reflection month. What do I know now that I didn’t know forty years ago? Forty years ago I had just graduated from college and was at the beginning my walk with Christ. I was so excited! Excited to complete my education. Excited for all that lay ahead for me. I wanted all that God had for me and didn’t know how to go about receiving it. I wanted to make it happen. I was learning what it meant to put faith into action, but also to trust God, His timing and His sovereignty.

I needed a job. I asked an older wiser lady in my new Jesus-loving church, “Do I just wait for God to bring me a job?” “No,” she said. “You’ve got to put your foot in Jordan and if the waters part you know to go through.” I learned my efforts were necessary to discover God’s will.

But then there was learning to wait on God. My pastor called me out one Sunday and shared a message from God in a prophetic picture. He described me as a child outside a candy store and I was anxious to have all that I saw. But the message from God was to wait and He would give it all to me. Learning to wait on God’s timing and sovereignty is still one of the most difficult lessons to learn.

There are so many things I could share that more than forty years of following Jesus has taught me, but here are some of the most important lessons.

The truth I know must be tested by my experience. Some things can only be learned through experience. Wisdom is gained with time. Knowing Jesus rather than about Him takes the experience that only time can bring.

Forty years ago, I could study and state scriptural truth, but without depth. I could give all the “right” answers like I had learned to do in school, but a friend who loved me told me the truth I needed to hear but could not understand. I was like a spiritual doll. I knew the kind of person that I wanted to be and assumed that behavior but becoming who God wanted me to be would take time and testing. Testing like silver through the fire of experience.

It wasn’t until years later that I began to understand that truth. I would not have chosen to walk through the fires, but the person I am becoming looks more like who I wanted to be. Someone who looks more like Jesus.  

Pain is part of the process. The fellowship of sharing in His sufferings (Philippians 3:10) is how I get to know Him better. He is close at all times, but I have been more aware of Him in my times of greatest need.

I would not choose the pain. But I would not choose to go back and change what I have walked through. There are things I have learned by experiencing His presence in my dark valleys that I would not trade. Those are the things that continue to shape my character and lead me forward. I have learned to accept pain as part of the process and found peace to walk through with His presence. I wish that for you in your present pain, my friend.

 The path determines the person. You and I are an accumulation of our choices. At every crossroads in life, we make choices on which path to take. It takes a conscious effort to choose God’s path. Often His path leads through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But the valley is where the greenest grass is. The shadow protects from the heat of the sun. The darkness leads me to walk closer to the Shepherd.

The path I choose shapes me. If I choose to follow Him away from my tendencies, I become the person He chooses. It isn’t easy or comfortable. But it is so worth it. The person He chooses is a person who looks more like Jesus. That person is only shaped through the the fellowship of sharing in His suffering. His suffering is found on the path of obedience and that path often leads through the Valley.

Would I have chosen the path that God has taken me on over the past forty years? No. Would I be the same person if I had chosen my own way and gone a different path? No. The pain is part of the process of pressing on and becoming all that He wants me to be.

Dear Friend, whatever God is allowing in your life right now has a purpose. Press on. Press through. Learn the lessons. Become the person He designed you to be. Forty-plus years of following Jesus has taught me that it isn’t easy, but it is so worth it.

 Key Question: What do I know now?

A Scripture to Consider: “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” Philippians 3:12 NLT

A YES Challenge: It may not be your birthday, but sit in God’s presence for a while and process some lessons you have learned. Write them down to help you remember.

Prayer: Father, I am grateful for all You have taught me through the years. I have come a long way, but I have so much further to go. Help me to keep pressing on to take hold of all that You have for me. I let go of everything in the past that would keep me from moving forward, but I choose to reach forward without losing what I have learned. Thank You for the lessons. Thank You for Your presence. Thank You for all that still lies ahead. Amen.