Most people don’t change overnight. You may have experienced some life changing experience, or an awakening to self or to God that opens your eyes to the need to change. And you may even start to live differently as you start to realize you’ve been living and doing wrong. Or just that you’ve been living with emotional chains; leftovers from a bad childhood, relationship, abuse, betrayal or whatever the case may be for you. Something that needs to heal. But true change takes time.
Christian maturity is a process. Just as maturity in the natural is a process. You don’t get saved one day and become “Super Christian” the next day. Actually no one ever becomes Super Christian. No persons faith walk is perfect. And everyone has some kind of pain or struggle in their life. Some people handle what they go through well because God gives them the strength they need to carry on, and the person makes a decision to not lose their joy. And some others just wear a mask to appear perfect. But of course no one ever is perfect. We all strive to be like Jesus, but you’re not going to become Christ-like overnight. It doesn’t work that way. There is no quick fix to spiritual maturity.
As you get into the Word of God more, pray more, spend time with God more, you will start to grow spiritually little by little. God will create opportunities for you to learn things you need to know to become better and stronger. He’ll speak to you through His Word and sometimes through others. He’ll allow certain experiences to draw you closer to Himself.
We all want to grow up as Believers overnight, but we can’t. True Christian maturity takes time. We want to be Super Christian now. We go to church and look around us and see other Christians that we think are so spiritual pray and worship and think “I want to be like that!” First, you can’t be like anyone but yourself. We are all on different levels spiritually. Secondly, we all worship God different. Some people raise their hands and some don’t. Some are quiet and some are very vocal and emotional. Neither way is wrong. Some people say long and eloquent prayers. Some people say simple prayers. Neither is wrong. God doesn’t care about whether it’s eloquent or not as long as you speak to Him. Can I get a Amen? Amen!
Don’t put trust in your ability to change yourself. God must change you from the inside out. We must trust Him to do His work in us. Put one foot forward and allow God to lead you to where you need to be in this life. And to mold you into who you are meant to be. You do have to put in work. Don’t kick back and think you don’t have to make an effort to change. Don’t kick back and say, “well since God hasn’t changed me yet I must be the way God wants me to be. After all, He made me this way!”
Well, God did not make you that way. Sorry to break it to you. If you have an ugly temper, a bad attitude, live in sexual sin, lie, cheat, steal or whatever the sinful proclivity, God did NOT make you that way. You made a choice to do the wrong you do. It’s apart of your sin nature. God is not in that. Don’t make excuses for how you are and how you’re living if your living is wrong. That’s the first step to maturity. As well as the first step to overcoming.
Don’t sit back and accept it and expect God to do all of the work. No, you have to do your part. Just don’t try to do it alone. Allow God to be God and help you. He loves you. He’s just waiting for you to ask. Remember that to change your life you must let God change your heart. Change must begin there because our heart is where all kind of wickedness comes from. (Matthew 15:18-20) We are told in Jeremiah 17:9 KJV that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” We must ask God to give us a new heart and new desires. He will do it.
Where you ought to be may not be where you are now. But God will get you to where you’re supposed to be if you’ll trust Him. He will show you the right way to go. You’ve got to trust Him, stay in the word, start to live the word, and pray. Don’t be a hearer of the word only. You must be a doer as well. (James 1:23 KJV) Trust God. He will not steer you wrong, or leave you to grasp in the dark.
Little by little everyday as you draw closer to God, He is leading you to where you need to be and shaping you into who you’re meant to be. Sanctification is a process. It never ends. One day you’re going to stop for a moment and look back and see that the most amazing changes in your life have happened. And you didn’t notice it while it was happening because it was so gradual. But you were growing and changing everyday. And when you realize it it will fill your heart with wonder, and thankfulness for how much God has worked in you, and is still working in you, and loved you and helped you to mature and grow.
Second Corinthians 5:17 KJV says “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold all things are become new.” Everyday you are going to look more and more like the new creature you became when you were saved as you walk with Jesus. As you grow you will start to look more and become more like Christ. Little by little.
Haneefah Turner Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved.
