Under Construction: Refining Who You Are

“Oh, Lord here we go again. Are we back to this same issue again?” Have you ever said this to yourself before?

Have you ever kept asking yourself the same questions: “Why do I feel like where I am in my life doesn’t reflect the image of God? Why is my relationship (whether it’s spiritual or an intimate relationship) repeatedly being tested?  Why are certain issues or complaints constantly repeating themselves in cycles in what seems like a stuck situation?”

You find yourself back praying, back fasting and back to pleading for God to reveal this life lesson. Back once again in the uneasiness, uncomfortable, frustrating place you once were in. You’ve read the Bible as it says to count it all joy when you are face with trials of many kinds, but you’re not happy. Where is this joy God promises?

We live in a society where we are taught to move forward, to be destination driven, and to not look back unless you are sharing a testimony. In New York , you may even see signs in certain areas that say no standing; forcing us to keep moving. So being back, in not your most ideal situation, can feel like you are not progressing. However, I watched a sermon by Rev. Anthony L. Trufant of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY as he indicates that we should not try to look at our situation in a negative light, but to look at it from God’s vantage point. In order for us to do this, Rev. Trufant says the answer is simple. God is working on you; you have to accept that you are under construction and know that a construction site doesn’t always look pretty.

I started to think about the perspective of the  construction workers and the hours of work they put into digging in the same spot and what seems like the same hole. The next day comes and they are back at the same hole digging. Then the next day and the next and eventually they move on from that hole and begin breaking more ground. I could only imagine at times, especially when the weather is hot, that the workers have thought about walking off from the job. Ready to throw in the towel but they keep working knowing that eventually their work will pay off. Literally. Like the construction worker, God keeps positioning us back in the same place, over and over, so that we can dig on those issues we thought we had healed from, thought we had all the answers to, thought it was something that was understood within the team, the friendship, or relationship only to find out that you were on different pages. It doesn’t always look pretty, it doesn’t always seem fun but it’s necessary for the inner work of both oneself and for those relationships to realign in order to get back on track and begin breaking more ground.

I also thought of the perspective of the drivers. In dealing with construction, all we see is an inconvenience, a set back or a detour from the path we normally take. Each day you become frustrated with the traffic the construction has caused. Then one morning, the flow of traffic is back to normal, you realize that the construction workers are gone, the construction signs are down and you start to remember about that pothole you use to complain about every day for months is no longer there. Your ride has become smoother. Now you are able to see why it was necessary for the road you were on was under construction.

God does want you to count it all joy when you face trials, because the position of where you are in life is not to tear you down or even to break up a friendship or a relationship. Going back may take you back to a place where you were desperate for God, desperate to read more of His word daily as you search for answers, back into reviving your passions, back into ministry, back to being more understanding. Let God smooth out your path where you once had potholes in your life in order to become a better you, a better friend, a better companion, a better listener, and to build on a stronger foundation.

Flow with God’s direction, look through his perspective and watch God refine You!

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