Tag: worth

Mike Parsons –

God desires that we live in two realms simultaneously, just as Jesus did,
functioning in both earthly and heavenly realms.

[“I am reading from my book INTO THE DARK CLOUD, in which I describe the process I went through to enable that to begin to happen in my life . I hope it will encourage you to seek God for your own dark cloud experience.”]

I counsel you to open your heart and embrace the fire. The purpose of the fire is not to harm us, but to change and transform us: we need to be willing to embrace both the water and the fire. Some of us will experience different processes of transformation. If you go through a water transformation without needing the fire, so much the better. That was not my experience. I had to go through both water and fire, and the fire was instrumental in bringing about transformation in me.

The places of restriction in our lives are where preparation and transformation occur. Sometimes God tells us that in this season everything has to stop: our busy-ness and constant activity can hinder intimacy with Him. We are so focused on doing, doing, doing, that we do not take the time to simply be.

It is in those moments of being that God has the opportunity to speak to us, challenge us, and bring about change.

We can be so consumed with our activities that we never truly hear God’s voice. We may continue doing things because we think we are doing what God wants, but if we take time to listen, He is telling us to stop and move on

Who am I, if I am not doing any of the things I believe God wants me to do?
Do I still have value and worth?
Do I feel the same about myself, when I am not actively engaged, or when I am not ‘doing’ everything?

These are the questions God starts to raise when He places us in restrictive situations or dark clouds. It is in those moments that we have the time to reflect. Sometimes these seasons will feel like a dark night of the soul
because they involve intense experiences. That is why many people resist or fight against them: they do not understand what God is seeking to accomplish. They try to escape or avoid the process instead of embracing it.

I was like that. I fought it. At least, I certainly tried – for six weeks, and it was a miserable time.

I counsel you to open your heart and embrace the fire.