The identity of a person should not be determined through outside factors; these should not be what tells someone of his worth and value, nor distinguish his place in society. Yet by using a cursory evaluation and making superficial judgments, this is how most people decide who should be viewed as more worthy of attention and acclaim. So mankind has set the shallow standard of achievement or outward appearance as its marks of acceptance. Those who do not stand out in either of these areas are labeled as just ordinary, or maybe even sub-par; not given a second look or thought to be much more than normal and middle of the road; as those who can’t quite measure up to society’s ideals of exceptional.
Lori Anne Hale
The significance of a challenge is born out of the adversity experienced.
For through the depths of a trial lies the point of transformation, where the old beliefs are exchanged for the new, and faith once again has the opportunity to abound. For here is the reason behind the struggles of life: not to punish, but to bring growth; where life must be examined with spiritual eyes so that the real issues can be vetted and understood.
When I acquire a target, I set its heart in My sights. Then I take careful aim, deciding when to pull back My bow and send My “Arrow of Truth” sailing towards this mark. For just like an archer who studies his game, I carefully consider those I see holding value: the ones who would fit splendidly in amongst My chosen, those I cherish as My most prized possessions.
The construct of society is such that when a person is born, there are certain variables already set into place that determine his placement within the hierarchy of civilization. For not a single person can decide which bloodline he will come from, nor which race or nationality will be his heritage. These choices are out of his control. So then, when a child is born, he knows nothing about the prejudices of man and has yet to understand where he fits in the structure of humanity. But as he grows, he will learn that those who have come before him, have created a system of classes to define each life before it has even begun.
Each person that comes to Me starts out fractured and in need of repair, with injury and pain held in their hearts, like a bone that is broken requiring mending. Some have wounds which need only a small amount of care to relieve their discomfort, for the insult they received brought in only a little damage, and so these may not even be aware of their need for healing. Yet each life, on some level, will know the pain of rejection or have words spoken that hit rather hard, regardless of their confident exterior.
Often people want to draw a moral equivalence between two different sides of the aisle, where one party believes the other’s stand is ethically wrong and so goes about spewing rhetoric designed to paint their opponent in the worst possible light. Oh, the foolishness of man! For there are those who are looking to gain power even if it means slandering a neighbor so that the majority in their community will believe the most salacious stories told about another.
“Are you willing?” is the question I ask each of My children.
“Are you willing to walk the difficult road of denying yourself in order to see My promises fulfilled? Are you willing to seek Me even when your heart is not in the battle and you have grown weary of fighting?”
Beloved, I will always challenge My children to go against their natural inclinations; to battle against their flesh and its pull to live a comfortable life.
For this is the way of man: to live out his days in pursuit of what makes him happy at the moment. Because the heart of mankind is fickle, he is prone to change his mind on a whim, as his flesh is always crying out to be satisfied. Yet what it takes to subdue this voice is always shifting, leading many to embark on a “chase” to find the one thing that will silence its urgings.
Do not be afraid when turbulent waters enter your land and things around you appear to be grim because those in power, who are seated in high places, make choices to try and silence My voice. This is the way of man. For sin has taken hold of his heart, and so he makes plans to shut down anyone who would shine the light on his darkness and expose him for what he truly is. Any attempt to keep My words quiet will fail, for I am able to speak over the walls man tries to erect!