19th Feb - Put Your Faith Glasses On: Trusting God in the Process of Transformation

The Miracle of Transformation

We love the idea of miracles and positive change in our life....But we don’t always love how these "miracles" starts

I was thinking about this and I heard this thought this week by Phil Pringle - “When you pray for a vase, God gives you clay. When you pray for a tree, God gives you a seed.”

It made me think how often do we miss opportunities or what God is doing because when we pray we only look for the finished outcome?

When in fact God often gives us a starting point, rather than just handing us the miracle. He's inviting us to participate in what He is doing and to grow in our faith walk.

How Faith Works

Faith sees.

It sees what God has said - before it shows up.

The Bible says God “calls into being things that were not.” — Romans 4:17 (NIV)

Take for example Abraham.

God told him;  “Look up at the sky and count the stars… So shall your offspring be.”  Genesis 15:5 (NIV)

Abraham had no children and no visible outcome of that happening, but when God told Abraham to look up at the stars He planted a picture in his heart of a family and with it the seeds to believe.

Trusting what God has spoken is a bit like putting faith glasses on and looking through the lens of what is possible.

Faith looks at clay and sees a vase.

It looks at a seed and sees a forest.

It looks at your life and sees promise, potential and prayers answered.

Transformation Happens When….

You pray for confidence - And God gives you the microphone.The leadership opportunity, the moment where your voice shakes but you speak anyway.

You pray for purpose - God gives you responsibility. A door opening. A small beginning that doesn’t look impressive yet.

You pray for impact - God gives you one person. One conversation. One DM. A chance to show up when it would be easier not to. .

You pray for that glow up

God gives you the gym membership.The early alarm.The meal prep.The discipline when no one is watching.

The prompting in your heart to forgive, to heal and to grow.

You pray for a better future

He gives you today.

God doesn’t always just drop the finished miracle into our laps.

He hands us something and says,

Let’s build this together.

Seeing the Angel in the Marble

When we went to Florence, Italy as a family a few years ago we saw all the statues that Michaelangelo carved.

There's a quote often attributed to him that says..

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

He didn’t see a block of marble.

He saw what it could become.

That’s what faith glasses do.

They don’t deny what’s in front of you.

They see potential and what it's becoming.

What Has God Put in Your Hands?

Take a look honestly; What already there?

An idea? A gift or talent? A relationship? A next step you’ve been delaying?

Seeds don’t look impressive.

But they carry forests.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

Maybe the answer and your miracle isn’t missing today.

Maybe it’s just in seed form.

Action Steps

• Identify the "clay" or “seed” in your life right now.

• Ask God what He has spoken over it and ask Him to help you "see".

• Take one small step to participate with Him this week.

You can do this.

Not because everything is finished. Not because you feel fully ready.

But because God has already placed something in your hands and your heart.

The seed is there. The clay is there.The promise is there.

Put your faith glasses on and start shaping. Start watering. Start believing..

Prayer

God please help me put my faith glasses on to be able to see what You have spoken before I see the outcome. Give me courage to participate in the transformation and help me believe in myself and in others the way You do. In Jesus' name Amen.