God uses the people around you to confront the things in you that He wants to work on.

Think about the relationship that is right now, this second, on the back of your mind.  Yes, that one.  The one that brings up the deeper unsettled feelings that seem to be underneath everything you do today, unconsciously impacting your external life.  It could be a good unsettling, like a new love budding, anticipation, or happiness.  More likely, it’s a negative unsettling, like frustration, confusion, or rejection.   Think about the inner chaos you are feeling that is connected to another person… or people.

Whatever it is that they are bumping up against in you that brings up whatever it is that you’re feeling, that’s what God is after.  The closer the relationship, the deeper the bump.  Those feelings reflect the deeper issues of the heart – your insecurities, your fears, your desires, and your ability to connect and love.  And it’s in that space that God wants to transform your life.

You can live out a great version of yourself without really addressing those deeper issues of your heart. At least for a season or two. The facade just proves that where there’s a will, there’s a way. It can even look like you are truly growing in wisdom.  But, a facade always carries the deep, subconscious fear that someday somebody is going to find you out. A facade is easily unraveled when confronted by the tough stuff of life, or behind closed doors when you think no one is watching. And, without the deeper, real transformation, there is not the peace or joy that comes with living out of authenticity grounded in Christ. There is no fullness of life.  No real freedom.

God is after your integrity.  And not just authentic living no matter who is watching, but integrity that is grounded in His grace and mercy.  Integrity that increasingly reflects courage to live life vulnerably while trusting God to protect that vulnerability. Integrity that doesn’t collapse when sorrow or calamity strikes.  This type of integrity is solely  born within a heart that has allowed God to transform it.  And the process is ignited when we pay attention to the things stirred up by the people God brings across our path.