Psalm 118:14 – "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation."

One of the many beautiful things about being a child of God is that we are always becoming. We are always in a process of refinement, growth, and celebration.

The word "refinement" refers to the process of removing impurities. This is what God does every day of our lives. He is constantly making us more and more like Him. In order to do that, He makes us aware of impurities so that when we surrender them, He can remove them. Refinement is only beautiful when we make the choice to surrender.

As I have stated in other articles, growth is essential in every Christian's life. As God is refining, He is also growing - growing in us the fruits of the Spirit, such as more love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The truth is that God did not save us to leave us the way He found us. He saved us to preserve, grow, and create in us Christ, His Son.

Lastly, we are always in the process of celebration. I say that celebration is a process because it is gradual. To celebrate something means to have constant joy. A common misconception is that joy is life-based, that it only occurs when we feel happy about something. But joy and celebration can also be found in the hardest circumstances because they come from God, not from trials or tribulations.

So today, sons and daughters, as you are in the process of becoming, embrace God's desire to refine and grow you. Celebrate each step and each movement towards becoming like Christ. Live in the moment and don't ever let anyone belittle how far you have come.