Pop-Tarts Popping Up Too Soon
IllustrationAnalogy★★★★I USED to love Pop-Tarts. You know, you put them in the toaster, and you press the toaster button down and then wait for them to pop up.
Every now and then, the Pop-Tarts would pop back up before they were ready. They just were not fully toasted like I wanted them to be so I had to push the button back down again. I wanted the heat to have a chance to do its sufficient work and make those pastries satisfactory for my enjoyment. Sometimes in trials, God pushes us down in the heat but we want to pop up and pop out.
He says that if we let this difficult time have its ultimate conclusion, we’ll pop up when we’re ready and then we will be blessed. So if you’re going through a trial, or an adverse circumstance, don’t just be concerned about popping up and popping out before God has completed His purpose.
Know that He simply will push the toaster button down again to continue the process of spiritual maturity.
The point
Just as Pop-Tarts need sufficient heat to become properly toasted, we shouldn't try to escape trials prematurely—God's difficult work produces spiritual maturity.