The Shaking is Meant to Make You Stronger

Everywhere we look right now it seems that things are shaking. There are natural disasters occuring, political upheaval and protests, mass shootings and violence breaking out in our streets. Instability is something that is increasingly becoming the norm.

I'd love to say that the shaking will stop, but I'm here to warn you that it will not. It's actually going to increase, but this is not a doom and gloom message. It is a message of hope to those going through the shaking right now. There is purpose in the upheaval.

For anyone who has been in the military they can relate to the dreaded bootcamp that inducts you into your military service. You are forced to crawl through mud, climb over and under obstacles, all while Sergeants yell in your face.

And should you decide to go to the next level such as the Navy Seals, that level of testing only increases dramatically. As one instructor said, "We don't build them up; we break them down." The whole goal of Navy Seal training is to create stressful, pressurized environments with as many obstacles as possible. Those that are able to complete the tasks in the midst of this pressure cooker with no errors are the ones that qualify for the Special Forces Teams.

The purpose of the training is so that they will be prepared to complete their mission. If they are unable to finish the task in training without error while under pressure, how could they be expected to finish the task in the middle of combat and war? There's a saying: "You don't rise to the level of your expectation. You fall to the level of your training."

There's another saying I love: "Proper preparation prevents poor peformance and the more you prepare for battle, the less you bleed in war."

The shaking that many are experiencing right now is serving several purposes.

* It's preparing you for the next level of influence.

* It's increasing your faith and dependency on God.

* It's removing pride and creating humility in you in order to have compassion to serve and help the people you are being called to lead.

So, as tired and weary as you may feel about the seemingly endless delays, or the bewilderment you may feel concerning your next step, I will say this - do not quit!

No one will remember how you started, but they will remember how you finish. And I promise, there is a reward for those who finish.

"Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward." - 2 John 1:8

You are not alone in your place of struggle. There are many out there who are in the trenches with you. You are part of the Special Forces Team called to lead this nation back to its rightful place of being a beacon for life, liberty and justice.

Just hang on a little while longer, bootcamp is almost over.