When one comes to Christ in conversion, often they want to radically follow the Lord in everything, for indeed all things are brand new to them. That is good, and we should want to so follow.
But sooner or later the testings begin to come. After a time God may seem distant, or not present, certainly not as in the early days of salvation. And following the Lord seems more difficult.
Actually part of what is happening is that one is coming to a fuller realization of what following the Lord means, and who they are, their deficiencies. And that all is not well with the world. There's an actual battle we're in.
Change takes time. For me that is good when it seems like I have a day in which I seem to be going backward in my heart and walk in God. A day like yesterday. What is needed is grace. Grace to know that God is still God, that the true stable growth and change comes over time. It is incremental, certainly with growing pains, but also with needed pruning as in humbling. A deepening in our hearts in relation to God, to others, to ourselves, and to God's place for us.
What would you like to add to these words on change?
6 comments:
looking back, i can see how God has used a very large part of my earth time, spanning decades, for particular renewal or change within me.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
galatians 5
This idea/truth that change takes time is probably the biggest change in my outlook in the last 5 years.
It's made me more patient with others including my children. I also see how arrogant I was to expect change in others to occur immediately when change comes so slowly in my own life
Nancy,
I'm probably not as good at looking back, but I agree with you. In my case real change has come over the course of a good number of years, and even decades. And of course, I'm still in that process.
And amen, to that passage! So important for our lives and walk in God as part of fulfilling (just like all the rest of Scripture, but this is getting at the heart of it) "the Jesus Creed."
ESI,
Brother, I think the same thing has happened to me, as well, over time. Part of the good mellowing that can come with age, I suppose. I still have to fight off being hard on others, but easier now, since by grace I guess I know myself better.
i agree with esi
i have been very hard on people and it is very unfair and it has helped to take a better look at my self.
i think that my mother was a very codependent personality and i think that i am as well. i have to catch myself from wanting to fix and control others instead of facing what i should be doing in my own life.
i think that the Holy Spirit is helping me to understand more about myself and control. it is a long road to change.
i am guessing that the change must come throug living experiences and with the living God and the living word.
Nancy,
You speak plenty of wisdom here in what you are saying. And many of us can identify with you to some degree or another. I can.
And yes, it's certainly a working of God, the fix we need. And it comes over time, God using all of life. Some of it uncomfortable. But we need to keep walking through it.
Thanks for sharing that.
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