I recently traveled from my home in Nashville, Tennessee, to Springfield, Missouri, for a conference. To get there, I took an Uber to the Nashville airport, went through the endless procedures required for modern-day air travel (bless ‘em), and boarded the plane.
And did I fly to Springfield? No. I flew to Atlanta.
If you know U.S. geography, you know that’s going backward. I had to travel away from Springfield to eventually get to Springfield! (But hey, it was Delta Airlines, and there’s no avoiding Atlanta when you’re flying Delta.)
But let’s get back to my little journey. I landed in Atlanta, walked what felt like 50 miles through the airport, found my next gate, and boarded another plane. Then I actually flew to Springfield, the place I was headed all along, where I trekked to baggage claim, got my luggage, and climbed into yet another vehicle for the drive to my hotel.
Whew. It took two flights, a layover, tons of walking, and numerous car rides to travel from my home in one city to the conference in another city. It was rather exhausting.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could get from one place to another with the snap of our fingers instead of making a long, laborious trip?
The journey to freedom can seem long and laborious sometimes, too. And it requires endurance and the willingness to push through when we want to quit.
God’s Healing Process
I must admit, the idea of skipping the journey and instead reaching total freedom and healing with the snap of our fingers is really appealing. And God is more than able to heal us and set us free instantly. But 99.9% of the time, He chooses to use PROCESS.
Why? Why does God take us on a journey to freedom instead of making it happen instantly? Why does God often work the slower way?
Well, it’s not some sort of punishment or a way to make life more difficult, even though it might seem that way. God knows us, and He knows that valuable elements of our character, things like wisdom and understanding, the capacity to love and forgive, and so much more—these things are built into us over time through process. We would not grow and learn nearly as much if He healed us instantly.
God Journeys With Us
And one of the most important things that happens in the healing process is relationship. Friend, God doesn’t just want to heal you. He wants to be your Healer, your Rescuer, your Father, and your Friend. God doesn’t abandon you to muddle through the journey to freedom alone. He walks with you, and with me, every step of the way. We come to know Him and love Him more and more over the course of time as we travel through life together.
And here’s another reason freedom is a process—it needs to happen in layers because God knows how much we can handle at one time. He lovingly and patiently addresses what we are ready to deal with today. And then layer by layer, as we are ready and willing, God helps us walk into freedom. This process continues throughout life.
Am I Going in Circles?
Why is this important to know? Because in any freedom journey, there are times when an “old issue” pops back up, and we are all tempted to think, “Wait, didn’t I already deal with this? I thought I was done with this.”
The enemy wants to convince us that we will never get anywhere, and all the work we do toward freedom is for nothing. But God invites us to press in and keep going so the next layer of healing and freedom can happen.
Think about driving to the top of a huge mountain. You usually drive in circles around the mountain, right? And with each loop you get a little bit higher up. As you’re traveling, you may come around a corner and see a view or a landscape that looks pretty much like something you’ve already seen, and you might think you have just driven in a circle and gotten nowhere. But really, you are higher up the mountain than the last time you saw this same view.
So, when you feel like you’re going in circles and getting nowhere, remember that you are farther up the mountain than you were before. You are higher and freer than you were before. And you are more healed than you were before.
Your Freedom Journey
No matter where you are on your freedom journey— years into it or barely getting started— there is always more freedom and healing available tomorrow. We’re all on this journey together, and we have a truly good Father who is walking with us every step of the way.
So keep moving, and don’t give up.
It’s going to be worth it. We can’t even imagine the view that’s in store for us at the top!
Mercy Multiplied exists to provide opportunities for all to experience God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and life-transforming power. We offer multiple programs and resources online and onsite designed to equip people to live free and stay free in Christ. For more information about the services we offer, click here.
Want more resources? Check out our MercyTalk podcast episode, “Little Steps Conquer Big Mountains”. For daily inspiration, follow us @MercyMultiplied on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
