B.E.A.U.T.Y.
Image by Nishant Kulkarni via Unsplash
“ULTIMATELY”
by Karen Bonasso
Ultimately suggests layers of time, both in seasons and in length, with an overarching end goal. It is this combination that we see throughout the stories in the Bible. It’s the way in which God works with us - His sovereignty and my free will - to form us into the person He has designed us to be. He has designed us for a purpose that spans our whole lifetime!
The definition of ultimately is: in the end; eventually. Thus, ultimately implies the passage of time. Anything that involves time requires patience. Anything that requires patience requires hope. Often our soul may tend to spin out into hopelessness when we are in a moment, a season, or even years of waiting. Yet a scripture that always comes to my mind when I think of hope is in Hebrews 6:19, “…we have this hope as the anchor of the soul, firm and secure.” God leads us as the the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Peter 2:25) as we encounter the mountains that will make us strong, and the valleys that will make us compassionate. He is with us when the “circumstances of life come upon us”. (1 Chron 29:30)
Ultimately also implies change. Everything about us changes throughout our life. Our bodies grow and change. Our emotions often change daily. As our mind and heart change - growing in knowledge and in wisdom - it causes our perspective on life to change, to mature. God created us to be formed by change. In the Bible we are compared to the clay that is in the Potter’s hand. The God of the Bible is a Master Artist with a plan for our life. He is creating and weaving these plans for us, to prosper us and not to harm us, plans that He has caused us to hope for. (Jeremiah 29:11)
However, change is often not something we embrace very easily, especially if it comes when we are not expecting it. Sometimes change is what we yearn for, but other times we cringe at the thought of it. Sometimes we even want life itself to stand still. I believe God made us to be adventurous and to enjoy life - Jesus told His disciples that He wanted His joy to be in them so their joy could be full (John 15:11) - but how can we be adventurous without some change? There is a saying that goes, “ without change nothing changes.”
Ultimately, if we want to live life to our designed fullest potential, we must be willing for things to change. We can give God the reins to lead us to His providential changes, and trust Him to help us through the others. Not all change is orchestrated by God, but God can make a beautiful life out of every change that comes our way.
The change before us can be anywhere from the result of subtle adjustments in our mindset, to the result of a traumatic event. It’s how we face these moments, or even seasons, of change - the attitude of our heart and mind - that gives us the opportunity to learn and grow. The beauty of changing circumstances is that they require us to draw closer to God; to get His strength and see our potential when we lean on Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” We can also read, “seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
When we lean on God we become stronger than we ever knew possible. Strong enough to navigate the changes in life with grace, courage, spunk, resourcefulness, and wisdom. From our place of joy, others can be inspired and encouraged to lean on Him through the changes of their life.
Remember, ultimately, He has designed us for a purpose that spans our whole lifetime! (Part2)
by Karen Bonasso
Front blog image by Zero Take via Unsplash