Growth: A Refining Process

From 28th of January to the 5th of February or organization held a conference in which English teachers from all over Asia met to talk about about everything from teaching methods to our Father.

Growth: A Refining Process
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Since arriving in Chiang Mai I have found myself processing and thinking about my last semester of teaching. Over the last week I have actually had time to think about my walk with our Father and how that has played out over the last 4 months both in teaching and team building. My time in Chiang Mai - while a time of rest - has been very challenging spiritually. I am continually confronted in areas that I need to grow in that simply just can not be ignored and/or put off.

Community

Working towards community on a team takes dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to be vulnerable. Community built among other individuals must be intentional. Beyond being intentional one must be willing to both assume a humble attitude and/or be humbled as well as know that you are going to have to go to your brother or sister and ask for forgiveness before you can approach the Father many times - especially when you don't want to. Interesting enough, I have come to realize that community is something we are called to rather than something that is optional.

The funny thing is that this isn't the first time I have learned this lesson; however, the weight and impact of its implications to my life right now are huge. It is frustrating - as I am sure you all know - to continually find yourself making the same mistakes. Unfortunately, it seems that the mistakes you continually make disguise themselves and/or transform their appearances just enough to blindside you each time. All that to say, is that I struggle with staying in community and allowing myself to be open with others so that trust can develop. I mean things like that are only small problems, right? Absolutely not. I should note that such problems can only be exacerbated when your relationships seem broken and beyond repair and you're not keeping up in the Word; it is then that the world can be a very bleak place.

It is, of course, at this point that I am reminded by what P said in Philippians 2:1-4

"If you have any encouragement from being united with our Father, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the S, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Identity

Where we place our identity seems to be something that many of us tend to misplace way too often as well- or at least I do. I seemingly place my identity in many different places with one of them being work. For some unknown reason I like constantly being busy, overloaded with work, and being stressed out. It is at times a love/hate relationship, but in many ways it is my bread & butter - the natural way for me to go about life. Yet, when I was listening to the story of Peter being asked if he truly loved our Father 3 times I was caught offguard by the the wording of the question in John 21:15 where it says, "do you truly love me more than these?" A speaker at our conference over the last week noted that it is reasonable to suggest that Peter had given up and was returning to a life of fishing. It was at this point that I realized that I hold up an idealized work ethic/love for work that overshadows my relationship with my Father. It is kind of odd to come to a realization that you love work more than your Father at times.

Faithfulness

Good news, though, I AM REMINDED of His faithfulness and will be holding onto it as I enter this new season of challenges. I hope you will too.