In my minds eye, everyone has a life tool chest. Before I became a Christian, it was filled with survival tools of which I used to survive. But when I became a believer, God started replacing those survival tools with tools equipping me to thrive. These tools were derived from the Word of God, through trials, perseverance, experience. That is why James says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬. With each trial is an opportunity to build life’s tool chest; tools we can use to be successful in all we do and go through. I think of Joesph who went through trial after trial, but God used the tools he accumulated during those trials to make Joesph the leader God designed him to be. I believe God is doing that in my life. I believe He has replaced those survival tools I once used just to get by, and

The writer of Hebrews explained brutal honesty perfectly when he said, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.” Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬. When we are brutally honest with ourselves we are stripped bare: naked and exposed. It is uncomfortable, embarrassing, traumatizing, shameful. But isn’t that what God had in mind when He created mankind? Before the fall, Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed as they stood before God. But when they chose to disobey God, the first thing they experienced was shame, “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” Genesis 3:7. When God came looking for them, they didn’t stand before God, they hid from God. They were trying to hide their sin and shame by sowing fig leaves together, which was woefully insufficient. They couldn’t do anything in their own power to cover their sin, so they tried to hide (it). But God… He did something amazing; He lovingly brought them out of hiding, and shed blood to make a covering for their