I’ve been experiencing spiritual growing pains in the past few months. While it is a good season to be in, it also has opened space for uncertainty and self-doubt. I’m constantly reminded through scripture that “with new things, a way is made” (Isaiah 43:19), “God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:26), and that “I have only God to seek approval from” (Galatians 1:10). Every day I’m reading through various platforms that God sees value in me. So, why do I allow self-doubt to take up unnecessary space?

Then yesterday, Sunday, the sermon was clear to me. When we have been called to service, we are anointed, and we follow what we have been called to do, it is affirmed, but we will find interruptions, snags and self-doubt all in the form of an evil one who wants to mess it up because we have agitated him. I sat there thinking to myself, “yes, this is exactly what is happening!” I’m challenged every day to remember that God is moving in my life, not evil. He is the one who can dismantle the uncertainty and fill in those broken spaces with His light.

Every step through our faith not only brings us closer to what God has planned for us and closer to him but clearly agitates the one who wants nothing more than to see us fail and blame God when the supposed “perfect plans” are not going our way. Today, I choose to focus on being anointed and affirmed by God. I choose to remember that God delights in me, his daughter. I choose to experience spiritual growing pains because I don’t have to do it alone.

Today, I choose to focus on being anointed and affirmed by God. I choose to remember that God delights in me, his daughter. I choose to experience spiritual growing pains because I don’t have to do it alone.

Are you going through a similar season? Are you trusting that God has anointed you with the service you have been called to? Or do you feel that there is a service/mission you are called to but haven’t taken that step out of fear? We know that God doesn’t give us the gift of fear so pray about where that is coming from.

Lastly, I share this with you. “Though the righteous fall seven times, the rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” Proverbs 24:16.

We will stumble, we will fall, but God is always there to pick us back up. He delights in you.

written by Joanna Polarek, Resource Coordinator, USA East SLD