I sometimes enjoy doing a jig saw puzzle. The one above is one Bill and I are working on together when we’re at our Sanctuary (cabin in the mountains). It actually has been more of a challenge than we were anticipating.

I’ve heard my friend Paula say that sometimes spiritual growth feels like a jig saw puzzle you are trying to do without the picture on the box top. I get that. The pieces are all there, but how do they fit together?

Recently I’ve begun realizing that my life is kind of like a jig saw puzzle. I have the DNA of godliness, but often I don’t see the picture that God sees. The pieces are there, but how do they fit together?

It was the winter of 2013. I didn’t want the status quo to describe me spiritually; I wanted to keep growing. But what was the next puzzle piece? Seminary? Spiritual Director Certificate? Classes on spiritual formation? Other?

It wasn’t that I didn’t have good input in my life. I’ve been blessed with great teaching in the churches we’ve been members of. Most of my career has been Navigator staff which has opened many doors to be exposed to excellent Bible teachers. But that niggling desire, how do I keep spiritual growth alive wouldn’t leave. What was the next piece of that jig saw puzzle that needed to fit to keep revealing the beautiful picture that was so obvious to God?

Psalm 92:14 “They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,” spoke (and continues to speak) to a parallel desire, another piece of the puzzle I wanted to fit in. But how?

One by one the pieces I thought might be the answer fell to the floor until I was left with the “other” piece. It’s shape was unfamiliar to me. And even now, almost six years later, I’m recognizing the importance of that piece.

The ‘righteousness’ piece. You might think that someone who has walked with God for over 40 years, would have realized that righteousness described her. But truly I’d never considered it. And that piece was key to begin allowing my desires to come to fruition, making way for other pieces to fit in place.

I began meditating on scriptures like Romans 4:22, 23 & 24, “That is why his (Abraham’s) faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also…” (parentheses and italics mine)

Romans 5:21, “… grace also might reign through righteousness …”

Proverbs 12:12, “… but the root of the righteous bears fruit.” Ah-ha!

And others.

The root (the source of growth) of righteousness piece had to be in place for the other pieces to fit.

And grace that was reigning in me through righteousness allowed me to love well. Love, a fruit of the spirit in my life, was showing itself through me.

I’m learning that affirmation is one of the best ways I can love others. I’m wondering if affirming others even trumps our giftings. Our gifts are not mentioned in the list of the Galatians 5:22 & 23, the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Our gifts work themselves out in our doings; the fruit of the Spirit is God’s doings through us (grace).

Another puzzle piece, and an important key ranking right up there with righteousness, was named trust. Recognizing the pieces was not enough. I needed to trust them. I needed to trust what God was saying, not just know what he was saying.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17: 7 & 8 (bolding mine)

I must trust the righteousness God has worked in me; then His love can flow through me and godly fruit will come from me.

My jig saw puzzle is a work in progress. There are still pieces that I’m not seeing where they fit. But my trust is in God who sees the picture on the top of the box.

I wonder what you’re learning about your godliness DNA. Let’s encourage each other.