The Purpose Driven Life, Chapter Twenty Eight
It Takes Time
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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 Christian 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. God views our lives from and for eternity, so He is never in a hurry.
Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ. Christlikeness is your eventual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime. So far we have seen that this journey involves believing (through worship), belonging (through fellowship), and becoming (through discipleship).
Although God could instantly transform us, he has chosen to develop us slowly. Why does it take so long to change and grow up? There are several reasons.
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 ot unlearn. Many people go into a counselor with a personal or relational problem that took years to develop and say "I need you to fix me. I've got an hour." They naively expect a quick solution to a long standing, deep rooted difficulty. 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. 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 truth will set us free but it often makes us miserable first. 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 begin to work on them. This is why you cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.
Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain.
Habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can't claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind--you show kindness without even thinking about it. You can't claim to have integrity unless it is you habit to always be honest. There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: you must practice them---and that takes time!!
As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process.
Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth followed by a period of stabilizing and testing.
Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down insights and life lessons God teaches you about Him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. Reviewing your spiritual journal regularly can spare you a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache.
Be patient with God and with yourself. 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. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering.
Don't get discouraged. A delay is not a denial from God. Remember how far you've 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.
While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so He is never in a hurry.
Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ. Christlikeness is your eventual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime. So far we have seen that this journey involves believing (through worship), belonging (through fellowship), and becoming (through discipleship).
Although God could instantly transform us, he has chosen to develop us slowly. Why does it take so long to change and grow up? There are several reasons.
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 ot unlearn. Many people go into a counselor with a personal or relational problem that took years to develop and say "I need you to fix me. I've got an hour." They naively expect a quick solution to a long standing, deep rooted difficulty. 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. 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 truth will set us free but it often makes us miserable first. 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 begin to work on them. This is why you cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.
Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain.
Habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can't claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind--you show kindness without even thinking about it. You can't claim to have integrity unless it is you habit to always be honest. There is only one way to develop the habits of Christlike character: you must practice them---and that takes time!!
As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process.
Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth followed by a period of stabilizing and testing.
Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down insights and life lessons God teaches you about Him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. Reviewing your spiritual journal regularly can spare you a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache.
Be patient with God and with yourself. 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. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering.
Don't get discouraged. A delay is not a denial from God. Remember how far you've 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.