Comfort or Character

Many times when I am in prayer, I have to stop midway because an idea for a devotional pops into my head. It's a beautiful way that God speaks. Recently, He gave me insights as to why this happens and showed me there is a pattern to it. He's a God of intention and plans and order, so this makes perfect sense.

When I am at the point in prayer when I confess my sins (both known and unknown) immediately after I am refreshed and these thoughts will begin to flow. Confession is essential, daily and ongoing. It's simply a realization of what is in me that doesn't live up to God's righteous standard. If I refuse to own up to it, if I attempt to skip this step, it will undermine my relationship with my Father. When we talk it through together and come to a point where I lay it down at His feet, He redeems it and show me His better way.

There is a correlation between my surrender and His Spirit moving through me. It's the ebb and flow of my relationship with My Heavenly Father. He is not like the Great Oz who sternly looks down from a lofty perch. He is my Creator. My flesh and blood Best Friend.

This reminds me of a quote from MLK Jr.'s epic speech, "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character".

God is more interested in the content of your character than in your comfort.

Let's face it though, development of character is hard. Painful at times. It's the opposite of comfort. Since we are here for only a breath a time in the grand configuration of things, our surrender to the One who designed us for this journey needs to happen. We either choose it now or one day be bowing the knee with every other creature.

May I always make the decision to choose character over comfort. Laying hold of the process diligently, "He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies in the darkness, though he is surrounded by light" Daniel 2:22