What She did in the process . . .

No one really likes the process. To be real, it’s not the place we would choose for extended residence on the timeline of our life’s journey. We want the promise. We want the result. We want the outcome. No one wants the uncomfortable, ambiguous, and often murky pathway that is the process.

But what you do in the process, what you do when life makes no sense, what you do when you’ve got more questions than answers, what you do in stagnant, unproductive, even infertile places – can demonstrate your character and the cultivation of your faith.

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth” (Luke 1:5).

Stuck in the process of living through infertility, Elisabeth had longed for, waited for a child and had probably given up hope of ever holding her dream in her arms. She was barren. In her culture, in her world, to birth children was to be blessed. Not having the opportunity to do so most certainly meant that her life was the opposite. Or so she thought.

“And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years” (Luke 1:7).

But what she did in the process reveals profound leadership lessons for leadHERs today. She could have rebelled against God, raged against the unfairness of her predicament, or even rejected the love of her Creator.

But instead, she did right. She lived righteously, faithfully, and humbly as the wife of priest, completing her daily duties and fulfilling God’s commands. Submitted to God in the process, she demonstrated the fruits of a faith-filled life even though her circumstance was unfavorable.

“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6).

Have you ever been stuck in a situation you didn’t choose? Uncertain of what your life would bring to fruition? Elisabeth’s choice to live for God anyway gives us clues for how to handle life’s uncertainty and lets us in on a secret. Our problems are more than mere predicaments. They are the processes through which God will bring about His purposes.

“And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:36-37).

The purpose for Elisabeth’s life was bigger than she could imagine. By the time her story is introduced in the pages of scripture, she had likely stopped dreaming about having a child. But when she finally did give birth during her mature years, she was blessed beyond measure with a special child who would become the forerunner of the Savior.

“Thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord . . . to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13b, 14-15a, 17b).

While Elisabeth’s story aptly conveys the challenge of the process she endured, it also invites us to change our perspective about the processes we face.

PROBLEM = the predicament potent with the possibility of what God can do

PROCESS = the pathway that produces and perfects your character and faith

PERSPECTIVE = the proper lens through which to view your life guided by confidence in God

PURPOSE = God’s bigger picture and your part in His plan to bring His glory on earth and His goodness to your life

LeadHERs, my prayer for you today is that you will adopt a perspective change! See your circumstance not as an impossible challenge but an avenue through which God will work for you, in you, and through you. Never underestimate His purpose for you and His power to bring it to pass despite the challenging processes on your journey!

Your Sister in LeadHERship,

Dr. Margaret R. Frye

Want to learn more about Elisabeth’s story? Find it in Luke 1:5-80

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