Built on Purpose: Trusting God’s Assembly Line

Trusting the process is a phrase thrown around a lot, yet it’s never easy when you’re in the middle of it. That journey has taken on various forms through the years, and I want to share a very literal and visible form through my skin.

As a teenager, acne was my constant companion, a stubborn, often painful reminder that no cream or remedy seemed to soothe. I had resigned myself to the struggle until, as a young bride, birth control seemed to bring my first real reprieve. My skin was clearer and my confidence a little brighter.

But everything changed when my husband and I decided to start a family. Stepping away from birth control and welcoming pregnancy hormones into my life was like opening the floodgates. With my first two pregnancies, I faced forehead cysts, persistent back acne, and a level of discomfort I hadn’t known before. I was, quite frankly, shooketh by the intensity of it all.

Thankfully, with Caleb, my third pregnancy, things eased up a bit, and by the time Chiara came along, I experienced the long-hoped-for “pregnancy glow.” It was a fleeting yet welcome break from the seemingly endless battle with my skin. After giving birth, I even dared to hope that my skin had finally settled down for good.

But by late 2020, that hope shattered. My facial acne returned with a force that humbled me. This was no ordinary breakout—at one point, it felt like my pimples had pimples. My skin had hit rock bottom, and so had my confidence.

For the first time, I sought out a dermatologist, hoping he could offer a solution beyond what I could manage alone. He prescribed a medication to treat my acne, warning me that things might get worse before they improved. Little did I know just how real that warning would feel.

In the first month, my skin erupted like never before. I was tempted to quit, to run far from my reflection in the mirror, especially when two painful pimples sprouted on my bottom lip. I remember staring in disbelief, asking, “What is this, Lord? What manner of witchcraft?”

Yet I resolved to trust the doctor’s expertise—to believe that this was all part of the process, even if that process made no sense to me in the moment. I clung to the hope that this backward step would one day lead me forward, healing my skin for good.

I’m sharing this journey because life often requires us to endure setbacks that make us question our path. When we’re in the depths, we may wonder if any progress is possible. But just as my skin needed time to heal and reset, our lives sometimes require difficult seasons that prepare us for growth.

God is a God of process, and He’s never idle in our struggle. If you’re breathing, He’s working. So, don’t lose heart. Hold fast and trust the process, even when it feels like you’re moving in reverse. God is still building you, and the breakthrough will come.

“In a wealthy home, some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honourable use.”
– 2 Timothy 2:20–21 (NLT)

“He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with His winnowing fork. Then He will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into His barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
– Luke 3:17 (NLT)

In my last blog, I shared how you and I don’t have to have our lives all figured out. All we have to do is agree with God that our purpose is worth yielding to His way. God has already figured it out, and because He has, we can expect both a qualification shift and a process.

The truth is that as God builds our lives according to the blueprints of His purpose, there are a few things He must unravel, rattle, and change. That process of conforming can often be uncomfortable and even unpleasant.

My encouragement to you today is to stay: stay in His presence, stay in His Word, and stay in the posture that says, “I’m all in, no matter what.”

Expect a Mind Shift

Continual mind shifts are the name of the game as God is building you. The temptation is to see things finally taking shape and to think you’ve arrived. But just because your life looks like the picture God showed you, doesn’t mean you can step away from Him.

As God builds and entrusts you with more, He may move you two steps back before ten steps forward. Stay flexible. Trust the shaping hands of your Master Builder.

Expect Some Sorting

We often read 2 Timothy to mean that keeping our lives pure makes us more useful to God. That’s true—but there’s more. Luke 3:17 reminds us of another kind of sorting: between what we want and what we need.

As God builds, we must mindfully sort our requests and requirements. A requirement in one season may become a request in another. God isn’t a God of confusion—but He does require us to stay close enough to understand the shift.

Every day is new in God. His mercies are new, because what we need changes in every season. And the amazing thing? He’s already provided what we need for the season we’re in.

When God calls you to a supernatural assignment, the supernatural provision is already in place. Ask Him to open your eyes to see it.

Nothing hinders your purpose more than being hard-headed. Stay pliable in God’s hands. He will complete the good work He started in you.

So as this year winds down, trust the One who started it with you. He’s not done yet—and neither are you.

💬 Continue the Journey

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