Resisting the Process: 5 Ways to Endure the Parts We Don’t Like

The Process We Hate Births Results We Love

So, a few weeks ago, I wanted mashed potatoes with the meal I was preparing. The thing is they had to be homemade, using real potatoes. Now, don’t roll your eyes. For the record, I have absolutely nothing against instant mashed potatoes, but I prefer homemade… “from scratch”.

Here’s the catch – I loathe peeling potatoes. Yep, I hate it. There’s just something about it that really annoys me, but how else will I get to the potato part? Exactly my point. So each time, I have to suck it up, pull out the knife, and get to peeling. And no, I don’t use a potato peeler, that’s more irritating than using a knife.

The potatoes had to be peeled, but the end result is more than worth it. This time though, my mom was in town, so I asked her to peel them. Of course, this isn’t an every time occurrence, so I took full advantage.

Can I Skip This Part, Lord?

The thing about peeling potatoes is that it’s the part of the process you cannot skip. In order to enjoy delicious, homemade mashed potatoes, the potatoes must be peeled. Unless you leave the skin on or you’re making potato salad, ya gotta peel them.

This is a lot like life in general. We often hate that part of the process or our journey that will make our life great! I know I do, geesh.

Sometimes, the most necessary puzzle piece to our deliverance is what annoys us the most. Of course, we would rather skip it, but we cannot go around it. Potatoes don’t peel themselves… trust me on this one. And you know what? Your process won’t go away without you going through it, either. One thing we seem to forget is that God is always “in town” for us to ask Him for help.

So, What’s the Play Call?

Your process produces progress when you agree to “grab the knife and peel”. Here are a few things to remember when you want to chuck the potato with the skin:

1. Don’t quit in the middle. Nope, endure that process and God will rescue you. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:13
2. Ask for an understanding of your process. Often, we don’t want to accept the process because we just don’t get it. I had to learn how to peel a potato before I could actually do it… enjoy it or not. Without understanding, I could peel more than just the skin or even cut myself. “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.” Proverbs 2:3, NLT
3. Ask for help. We were not created to bear burdens alone, so God is there to help us. Just as I asked my mom to help me peel those potatoes, we can go to our Father for assistance during our life’s trials. “Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:” Psalms 109:26
4. Submit your will to God. Sometimes, we just don’t want to deal with the circumstances that come with growing in God, but we must allow His will to be our focus. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
5. Request a view of the big picture. When we forget that the potatoes must be peeled before mashed potatoes can be made, we forget that there is greater to come. If you just ask God to remind you of your future, He will reveal things that you never imagined possible. “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” Jeremiah 33:3

No matter how tedious, each stage of your process is necessary. Don’t skip one step. Try not to despise where you are. Let God help you “peel your potatoes”.