Peace in the Process
By Stephanie Beaulieu
A number of years ago I had the privilege of walking with a couple of women who were brand new to faith in Jesus. They brought no Bible background to the table and much emotional brokenness from lives lived without knowledge of the truth. They willingly participated in Bible studies, learned and grew, yet it seemed like the deepest places of their hearts that they most desperately needed transformation were not probed by homework questions and discussion. I knew the truth could transform and set them free but it needed an invitation in.
A couple of years later when I was reading the Parable of the Sower, I felt like the Lord was impressing upon me what needed to happen in a heart for transformation to take place— His Word needed more room to take root and bear fruit. But how do you make more room? I began to see different heart conditions Jesus presented to His captive audience— hardened, shallow and crowded hearts. There was no room for truth until hardened or path-like places were broken open, shallow or rocky places needed removing, and crowded, thorny places needed weeding out.
This message began to take shape in my own life as God began breaking open my own path-like places to reveal my weaknesses, revealing my own ways that were like the rocky places, and my wants that were crowding the thorny places.
Later that year I released a 40-day online devotion series entitled, “Cultivate: Preparing Your heart for Him,” and was encouraged to hear from women that this message was challenging them to ask God to look deeper inside of their hearts and ask the tough questions. When the online study finished, I wondered if the message had more miles it needed to travel. The very day I began to seriously consider writing it into another bite-size Bible study, a friend who had participated in the study texted me and said, “I just wanted to let you know how much that study has transformed my thinking. I continually asking whether or not I am trusting God with my weaknesses, ways and wants.” God used that text to prompt me to begin the process of writing it into a Bible study.
I am much more gifted at dreaming big than I am at realistically assessing how much time projects will take. Many projected deadlines came and went, the study unfinished, me wondering if it would ever be finished. Almost exactly a year ago, I felt the Lord clearly impress upon my heart to trust His timing. My timeline had been just that— my timeline, and it was not the same as His. His plans were different than the ones I felt responsible to hold to.
And when we trust God with the process, we always get His peace in exchange.
In the midst of trusting, there’s always still wrestling. There were tears of discouragement shed with trusted friends, and yet when I would remember what the Lord had spoken to me, “Trust my timing,” I would have His peace.
When the journey became discouraging and difficult, with the finish line nowhere in sight, I continually kept two things in mind: 1) wanting to be faithful to Jesus and call on my life and 2) the woman who is exhausted from trying to do more and not finding the flourishing life in the striving.
I’ve talked to her numerous times in many different places I’ve spoken, in coffee shop conversations, and over text messages. She’s the one who’s been led to believe that she must overcome her weaknesses, ways and wants, rather than seize the opportunity to trust Jesus with them. She’s the one who knows so much and feels so little. She’s the one who knows there’s more delight to walking with Jesus but doesn’t know how to invite Him to access the deep places that most desperately need Him.
I know her well because I was her. I was really good at functioning but knew there was more. And after taking this journey of inviting Him to cultivate my own heart and meet me in the midst of my weaknesses, ways and wants I am excited to share this message of the flourishing life with my fellow sisters in Christ who know there’s more, sense it, long for it, and suspect that it might just not be about going wider and trying harder but inviting God deeper into His dwelling place in hearts.
The Flourishing Life Online Bible study begins on January 13. Visit www.everydaytruth.ca to sign up and order your copy of the personal study guide. Use promo code: KAIT for an extra 10% off any order.
