One thing I know for sure is that God isn't in a hurry, nor is He on our time schedule. Drive thru restaurants are great in a crunch, but we are not meant to live our lives with a drive thru mentality. The trait common to all of us is our desire for instant gratification. We want as much as we can get, as fast as we can get it, with as little effort as possible. When you and I say to God, "Change me," we are not just going to wake up different the next morning. Instead, what God is going to do is give us an opportunity through opposition, to grow as we change. Many times we don't know what is going on in us until we are faced with a situation that stirs us up and brings everything to the surface. Our reaction to that situation will reveal where we are spiritually, and it isn't always pretty. James 1 tells us how important it is to have patience when we're changing and facing opposition. Patience is a fruit of the spirit that only grows under trial, and is something we need. Scripture tells us that once we have it, we're perfect and entire, lacking nothing. However, there's just no way to get it without going through something to receive it. It doesn't mean that all we'll face is opposition, but if we really want to be victorious Christians who serve God and make a difference, then we are going to have to go through some challenging things. We will need to get determined and make up our mind that we will never give up when changing and facing opposition.
Many of us say we want to change, but we don't want to be changed.
He is the potter, and we are the clay. His desire for us is that we would be flexible and teachable so He can mold and shape us into His image and His likeness as we go through each challenge. Do we really want to go through stuff at twenty years old, then again at thirty? Are we looking forward to arriving at forty and still going through the same old things? Reach fifty and see no change? It's called going around the same mountain, the same way, over and over, and expecting different results. The price of progress is a willingness to push through the pain of opposition, because there's no such thing as a drive-through breakthrough. It takes patience, determination and faithfulness for us to live a progressive life with God, but it is all worth it in the end.
