With Understanding

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.). And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.  Ephesians 4:7-16 NASB

God is our Heavenly Father. Though holier than we can comprehend He wants His family home, together, at His side in eternity.  It is His intention to bring light to what is dark in us. He intends to separate out the darkness, to do the refining that divides those aspects of our character and nature that wound Him from those that bring Him glory. 

Hallelujah!! Isn't this revelation of divine division  both beautiful and painfully raw. We cost Jesus everything because the only way to be reconciled to God, to eternal life - salvation - is through Jesus Christ. 

Therefore Jesus is constantly pruning us. He loves us so much that He constantly takes the initiative through Holy Spirit to remove from us what He hates so that we might blossom in the ways He loves.

Try to look at it this way, it is a mistake to think God’s discipline is seasonal for He is constant. Because even though we will fail Him, and we do stumble, He loves mankind immensely -  so much that the work of Holy Spirit corrects us, He works in us and with us—not against us or without us.

Revelation 3:19-21 NET All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with Me. I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with Me on My throne, just as I too conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne.

We may not like the feeling of God’s refining, it can feel terrifying to relinquish control to Him, to feel awkward and uncomfortable facing our sin and leaving it all at the foot of the cross, but He is alongside us through the letting go of what we are complacent with, it’s what Jesus cuts away from us that leaves of renewed.

We may not appreciate in the moment of strife what Holy Spirit births in us—but when we are surrendered to the will of God, any cost to self will be embraced without fear and replaced with an understanding of our king, Jesus Christ.