It Takes Time:
“Everything on earth has its own time and its own season.”
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1
If anyone doubts that you can become a true and better Christian. Remind them that it takes time. It’s not easy to break away from the world, your addictions, and sin. But I believe that if you make yourself dedicated to a new life. God will produce a miracle that no one around you ever thought was possible. Our relationship with our father is bound by time in conversation, prayer, scripture and in worship. It takes time to learn the patience to wait on Him and listen to His voice. As well as time in repentance and obedience. You do not and cannot know Jesus if you are not willing to give Him the time. Learning to set apart time to do nothing else but pray, read, or worship, is the beginning of a new Christian life, dedicating ourselves into service to our heavenly father. This is all irrelevant to those who truly don’t understand. Becoming a Christian does not happen overnight. We must learn to juggle the time that we spend with Him while driving, while resting, while talking with friends, while expecting difficult news, while playing with our kids, while working, while planning ahead, and even while asking for forgiveness.
“There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.”
~Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Becoming a dedicated Christian is not an easy life to start living. But in the end it’s all worthwhile. But I will tell you this, that there is no shortcuts to maturity in Christ. Our human nature pushes us to want change and a better life at our fingertips. But the truth is worrying about how fast we can grow up, only makes us more vulnerable and acceptable to the sin of the world. God does have concern for our strength in our growth, that’s why he teaches patience and humility as one of the first steps to Christianity. When we grow in Christ, God begins to do a good work within us. He helps us in our growth through strength and his grace, teaching us confidence as we begin to arrive at real maturity. God’s measurement of maturity in us is developed through our unity in faith in the knowledge of the son of God. This growth as a Christian is not instantaneous but gradual. Our lives will gradually become brighter and more beautiful as God manifests himself through us. Things from the past will start to fall away. The old man is dead and the new man lives. Litle by little our father will destroy your addictions and the sin that once consumed you. However, humans are not fast learners. We quickly forget lessons that God has taught us repeatedly, in some cases we even revert to those old patterns and behaviors. God is very patient with his beloved humans, he also knows that even though at times its painful and uncomfortable for us, we sometimes need repeated exposure to that suffering for us to learn.
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
~ 2 Corinthian 4:8-10
Imagine a hamster and a hamster wheel. We are the hamster, and the wheel is a situation in life. Have you ever wondered why it seems like we make the same mistake over and over again? Of course, in different scenarios, but evidentially we still react or get hurt in the same manner as before. Well, look at it this way God has put us on a hamster wheel. Try taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture from God’s view. God is building our character to grow and learn to become more like him. But sometimes were so stubborn that he must put us in a hamster wheel. We must run on that hamster wheel until we learn to give up our pride and get tired of the hurt and the pain. But God won’t let us off that hamster wheel till we learn to deal with the situation and learn from our mistakes. Trust me this can be a very painful process. Don’t get discouraged. There is no growth without change, and without change there is also no fear and without fear there is no pain. To experience a new life, we must let go of the old ways. Remember that habits take time to develop, and habits define your character. When we except Christ in our hearts, it’s the beginning of learning to develop Christian like habits and obtaining spiritual discipline.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
~ Romans 12:1-2
The things that God has planned for our lives will never happen right away. To gain the purpose that God has for us, he must purge and stripe away the sins and bad roots that were planted in us from the world. This takes time! Our souls will begin to grow through the struggles, storms, and the seasons of suffering. What lesson is God trying to teach you through your hardship? Let’s stop here and take a moment. I want to make an assurance of one thing: no matter what season of pain you’re going through, please try to remember that you are never truly alone. God is always with you in the midst of your troubles.
“I will never leave you or forsake you.”
~ Hebrews 13:5
I’m also wanting to state that even in becoming a Christian, it does not mean that your pain and suffering will end entirely. But it will become a different form of suffering called persecution. The difference between the pain of our sins, and the persecution of the world, is that as a child of God we have a new profound hope of coming out on the other side as a better, and stronger Christian. In other words, our pain will never end but as a new child of Christ we can endure the pain know that God will help us through, sand in the end something new and better will come out of it. Everything is happening for a reason there is no such thing as luck or coincidences in life. God is in full control! Even though at times life will get frustrating and seem like there is no purpose or end to the pain that you’re feeling. But remember that becoming a new man/ woman in Christ, holy and acceptable to our heavenly father TAKES TIME!
Stop holding on to your pain surrender it all to him. Step out in your faith that he will never leave you or forsake you and learn from your mistakes and you’re suffering. As you begin to experience your new walk in Christ. Be patient for in your despair this too shall pass.
Most of all
Never Give Up!
God’s Faithful servant,
Tinisha B.
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