I have spent my life in the dark room of the crushing. In every way imaginable- abuse, trauma, poverty, life threatening illnesses- God has squeezed me, and now new oil flows forth in my God given anointing.
The pain was so very deep and wouldn’t go away no matter how hard I tried to push it or numb it away. I learned through even more tragedy to bring that pain home. This pain was injuring me and those I dearly loved. I learned that God wanted me to incorporate my pain into my adult self. Jesus was asking me to take up my cross. As I did, I began to embrace my unique suffering and to trust that to God. He revealed to me that he would pick up this suffering with me- it would then bear fruit in my heart and in the heart of others.
In looking at the distinct differences between gifting and anointing, I see through God’s word how very critical it is to in my life and the lives of others that we are willing to be crushed. This is the only thing that makes sense in God’s economy.
Great God possibilities emerge with those who are willing to be crushed.
If you are gifted, you can fill a room, be paraded from the stage, maybe even become rich from your album or your book sales. In this “crushing,” God has brought me to a place where I no longer care for any of that. I entertained many by my gifting. Yet, what used to be so very satisfying has now become nothing to me.
I am responsible to allow God to do what needs to be done to bring people to Christ. Through the ongoing crushing, God is breaking chains and new oil comes. I have learned to incline my ear to the Shepherd. It’s not just important, it is essential. Times are urgent! Our pulpits are filled with leaders that may be gifted, who can fill a room and people get goose bumps listening to their “gift.” Their congregations follow them, but if their lives go astray, they bring the congregation down with them. But if we lead people to Jesus NOT OURSELVES, they run into his arms and learn to listen to Him, not us.
We live on a groaning planet. The world can appear to be in hostile chaos. We must remember the only refuge for our hearts is God’s love and peace. WE MUST not lose God’s story. It is continually being stolen from all of us by the Evil One- the ultimate deconstructionist. He twists, spins, and pulls apart the truth until we only have fragments left which are unrecognizable. Even in the church (not all churches) we have lost ourselves in the marketplace of Vanity Fair. Dare we NOT leave behind the truly important thing, the only refuge for our hearts?
With steady perseverance in the crushing, God gives us new vision, new hope. I admit I have a fireball of love within me. I am excited beyond expression to continue in my God given anointing- to break chains and shackles off of people’s lives. I have been SET FREE from mine. Living in the anointing of God allows us to be conquerors through Him, living a life of joy and freedom. I no longer know nor am bound by depression, drudgery, fear or anxiety. The darkness of that is a distant memory.
I press on with Christ. My heart and your heart are worth fighting for. I now bow in reverence before Him, speechless now as he fills me with his breathtaking Love. His love is my reward.
Isaiah 10:27 “In that day the Lord will end the bondage of his people, He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders.”
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