When Transformation Is Deliverance
Has a problem situation or a nagging burden been hanging around you for so long that all your prayer and all your efforts have not delivered you from the painful situation? We pray, we plead, we try every action; but for some reason, we remain stuck in the same morass of a tough life condition.
God always answers our fervent prayers. But God works in His own ways and in His own time. His methods are holy and purposeful. The evaporation and deliverance from our problems was the outcome for which we pray, but could God be answering our prayers by transforming our life right in front of our burden, rather than delivering us from it?
Transformation before our problems may be our best deliverance. God makes us better and stronger in the struggle. We learn patience and perseverance. We also gain new wisdom and empathy for others. Even in our trying and failing to solve our problems we gain new insights and new skill sets that serve us well for the rest of life’s journey.
There is a wonderful piece of wisdom in this famous quote: “When faced with a mountain I will not quit. I will climb over or tunnel underneath; or with God’s help simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine with God’s grace.” When our mountains don’t move and they cannot be navigated, it means we must allow the mountain to be transformed from dirt to gold.
Transforming before our troubles is really a form of deliverance; because no problem, ailment or mistake can thwart the will and purposes of the Creator. If we allow our burdens to become transformative events (like lessons in humility), they can free us from the entanglements of pride and hubris. Living with less may mean learning a new frugality that assures our survival or saves us from sin or ruin. Building new survival networks in the face of trouble builds our roadmap to lifelong friendships and ultimate success.
Debts, prison, broken relationships or physical disabilities are mountains that may not go away. But with God’s help and our disciplined determination, they can become transformative as we are forced to adjust and take new life paths.
If all you have tried to do and prayed for does not tunnel through your adversity, take stock in how the situation has changed you. Identify ways the mountain is making you stronger, more peaceful and more spiritual.
Transformation can lead to transfiguration as you turn life’s mountain of trouble into eternal hills of gold.