This was a really appropriate chapter for me. It ties in closely with the sermonseries we just started yesterday. It also hits home personally for me - I'm always in a rush to grow up, mature, get it right. So as I spend time encouraging others to be patient and trust God and let Him work things out - I ought to take my own advice.
This is such a great thought: I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns. Philippians 1:6
This is so true:
There are no shortcuts to maturity. It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow.
Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ. The Bible says, "We arrive at real maturity - that measure of development which is meant by 'the fulness of Christ.'" Christlikeness is your eventual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime.
We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar, or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all temptation, and release us from all growing pains. But real maturity is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving. Growth is gradual. The Bible says, "Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become more like him."
I found these observations to be very helpful - perspectives on why it takes so long to grow up, and what I can do to nurture that growth. They are mostly practices that I already know about, many I've done in the past - but they are good reminders to me - and convicting.
We are slow learners. We often have to relearn a lesson forty or fifty times to really get it. The problems keep recurring, and we think, "Not again! I've already learned that!" - but God knows better.
We have a lot to unlearn. There is no pill, prayer, or principle that will instantly undo the damage of many years. It requires the hard work of removal and replacement. The Bible calls it "taking off the old self" and "putting on the new self." While you were given a brand new nature at the moment of conversion, you still have old habits, patterns, and practices that need to be removed and replaced.
We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves. The fear of what we might discover if we honestly faced our character defects keeps us living in the prison of denial. Only as God is allowed to shine the light of his truth on our faults, failures and hang-ups can we being to work on them. This is why you cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.
There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain. Every change involves a loss of some kind: You must let go of old ways in order to experience the new.
Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: you must practice them - and that takes time! There are no instant habits. Paul urged Timothy, "Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress." Repetition is the mother of character and skill.
This is so vital to sustaining hope and trust:
Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, "Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. It's fine to pray for a miracle, but don't be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change.
I've done this since college in one form or another - not every day, but every year - and it's been very helpful:
Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation. The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. The Bible says, "It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off."
What does it mean to love God? I'm suggesting that this task is the first act of love:
Be patient with God and with yourself. One of life's frustrations is that God's timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn't. You may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress you're making in life. Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.
Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process. James advised, "Don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed."
No is immune to getting discouraged towards God and yourself.
When Habakkuk became depressed because he didn't think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: "These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"
A delay is not a denial from God.
Remember how far you have come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be.
How about you?
In what areas do you need to be more patient with God?
In what areas of your life do you need to be more persevering?
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