The world today is currently under a state of unknown. We were living a life of normal days just a couple of months ago. This virus invasively crept over the universe like a fog silently rolling through a forest. This put a definite speed bump into our lives. I use the words "speed bump" because many people mistake speed bumps for road blocks. Just because a street has speed bumps, doesn't mean anything. You slow down, you proceed carefully. This road can still be traveled.
Some view speed bumps in life as a bad thing. I see them as an opportunity to grow. But I've had many people share with me that they are fearful, worried, and understandably discontent, and for very good reason. Our lives have been invaded and the entire world has shifted course. Now, more than ever, we need to pray for God to heal our land.
Unfortunately, this world wants healing now. Demanding change. Assuming immediate results. This is not a realistic expectation. We live in a culture that prizes speed. We don't like to wait for anything. The world today is always on the lookout for shortcuts.
When I was growing up, if e wanted to get a hold of someone we either went to their house, called the person, or wrote letters. If we called, we might hear a busy signal. That meant they were already on the phone with someone else and we would have to wait and call them later (and hope to hear it ring.) Or, we would write to someone and wait for the mailman to come take it from us. Now-a-days, we just send a text. We can send a message across the globe with lightening speed. We can cross the Atlantic in under three hours. We can microwave a whole meal in minutes. We even want our dry cleaning back the same day.
We live in a fast-paced society where everything is now. We don't want to wait. We ask for it and it's there. Sometimes we try to carry that mentality over to our relationship with God. We wonder, what are the short cuts? What is the easiest angle?
I'm sorry but with God, there are no shortcuts, and no easy angle. The only way to build spiritual growth is to abide, which according to dictionary.com means "to tolerate; put up with, to accept or submit to, to comply with". Abide. Sink your roots deeply into Jesus Christ and continually walk with Him. In time, you will see fruit.
The word of choice here is "continually". This does not mean walk with Him for one day and if you don't feel any different, then it's not worth the walk. Continually means to keep going. Don't stop. Don't give up. Keep striving. Abide. The only way to bring forth fruit is to stick with it.
But many people don't stick with it. There is no denying that when you dive into Jesus, you feel a peace that is unexplainable. A peace that can only come from Christ. But then a little hardship or difficulty happens in their lives that shake them, and that peace turns to fear, frustration and some just give up. They had the expectation that their lives will take a turn of good luck and if they don't see it immediately, they toss it aside as "having tried the whole Jesus thing, but it didn't work for them."
The problem with these people is that they never learned how to abide. They never got their roots into Jesus. They never learned what it was to discipline themselves to stick with it.
Do you want your relationship with Jesus to grow? If so, you have to put forth some effort. There has to be commitment. Abiding makes all the difference. It is not a quick process. There are no short courses and we can't skip a grade or two.
God wants all of you. Once you've made that step, then you abide in Him let Him guide the path that you are so eagerly pursuing.
Joni Eareckson Tada explains it perfectly. She states:
"God's training is for right now, not for some mist-shrouded future. His purpose is for this minute, not for something better down the road. His power and His presence are available to you as you draw your next breath, not for some great impending struggle. This moment is the future for which you've been preparing!"
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