A Practical Guide for Transformative Growth Part 2Намуна

The Epic Battle

Do you know that one scene in the movie where the hero and the villain finally face off? This is that scene, except the battle is not with the villain but with yourself to become who God intended for you to become. Your ‘inner villain’ is exposed in The Crucible, and now you have a choice – will you let him live or put him to death? External trials prompt an internal struggle. We see this in the moments when David has the opportunity to kill Saul and chooses not to. Also, when Joseph faces his brothers who sold him into slavery, and after much back and forth (you can see that he is battling with himself), he finally tells them that what they meant for evil, God used for good. But perhaps the character who most epitomizes this inner battle is Jacob’s all-night struggle with the Lord, where Jacob (the deceiver) comes away with a new name – Israel (one who struggles with God). The whole journey hinges on this stage. This is when the Potter tests the quality of the vessel. Is it fit for use? This stage can be a lonely and desperate time when nobody seems to understand what you are going through, and few are there for you in your time of travail. Think of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood while the disciples slept.