Stay in the River

My favorite place in Tabarcia was the river behind the church. It was one of those perfect rivers, with smooth boulders, rounded pebbles on the bottom, rushing water and still pools. I loved looking at those rocks, the way the rushing water had smoothed away all their sharp edges over time.

Sometimes, I feel stubborn, hard as a rock. There are things in my life I want to change. I want to have more humility, be less selfish, trust God more and worry less. I can get discouraged as I look at my life and see myself still dealing with those same heart attitudes. I sometimes feel like it’s impossible for me to change who I am.

That’s when I realized, looking at the river, that, just as the river wore away the sharp edges on the rocks over time, God is making and molding me over time. He is wearing away my sharp edges, making me into the image of his son. As long as I stay in the river, dwelling in Him, he will continue to work in my life. John 15:1-5 says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” It may not be an overnight process, but God has promised that he will complete his work in us (Philippians 1:6). I need to trust Him to complete the process. If we took the rocks out of the river before they were rounded, they would have stayed sharp and pointy. In the same way, if I try to change myself in my own power, I’ll stay the way I am. In Phillipians 2:13 it says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” So, stay in the river. Allow God to work in your life. He’ll show you what He wants to change in your life, but He doesn’t want you to change it on your own. He'll be there, working in you.

“Faithful is He who calleth you, who also will do it” I Thessalonians 5:24