The Tribune

By AYANNA CLARKE

Before we get into our sharing today, I want us to begin with a verse of scripture.

2 Corinthians 4:17, in the New Living Translation, says “For our present sufferings are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them, and will last forever!”

In other words, the things that are being used to crush us now – the hard way you have to travel, the battle with the illness, the seemingly interminable wait for victory in any area – is temporary, and not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits you after enduring.

TD Jakes’ book “Crushing” is helping us all recognise the full measure of our suffering and understand the eternal benefit of hardship.

At one point early on in the book, he says simply: Quality takes time!

Upon reading this I immediately recollected a moment in my life where I found this one simple statement immensely hard to believe. It was perhaps my very first struggle with purpose.

A few of my readers may know that I sing in church. In fact, I have been singing for a very long time. It seemed that the natural progression was to wind up becoming a music leader in some facet of ministry. I did come to this point, but it did not have the expected reaction that I assumed it would have.

It was at this time that I said yes to becoming music minister at my former church. In total transparency, my consent did not go over well with many. The way I see it, however, no matter how anointed I was, no matter how well I sung, God still had some stuff to work out in me, a greater level of quality He desired, and He used those who I worked with to pull it out.

Oh, the pain of smiling and singing and leading through all that. (I would remember the lessons from this part of my walk for years to come).

As in everyone’s experience with crushing, we do come to a point where we are tempted see things negatively, and cultivate seeds of unforgiveness, wrath and anger. But I believe, and teach, that God’s ultimate desire is to use these events to prune, and enhance our gift; making certain of its quality, as a means to reach others for His Kingdom!

I began to understand that what I went through was truly a launch pad! God used this crushing time to bolster my faith in Him, increase my anointing as a Psalmist and worshipper, and strengthen me for even more devastating experiences to come.

I look back at that time with gratitude because, believe it or not, it was the driving force helping to:

• Maintain my song

• Write and teach other worshipers

• Nurture a pure heart toward worship

• Share that love of worship with His people

From that point on, God has blessed me. I’m leading worship at two major ministries, and ushering countless believers into God’s presence on a weekly basis.

Hear me when I say, we must see God’s plan for greater splendour that lies after our endurance. Would it have been different if I had received all-around support back then? I don’t know but I’d like to think that that moment of affliction was working in me a more eternal weight of glory.

I believe Jakes is right, sometimes our crushing is God’s method of quality control. He has placed His very best in us, and our hardships refine that gift, talent, or special anointing. It is only a matter of time where you will be revealed to the world – a gift of highest quality, walking in your own eternal weight of glory.

God bless you this week