But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.—2 Peter 3:18
Resentment poisons the one who holds it. Think how free of resentment our Lord was. His “first word” from the cross shows how He dealt with any possible temptation to be resentful. I believe that He was as free to walk away from Calvary as he was to walk away from the cliff-edge above Nazareth. He accepted death. Sin and love were in decisive battle. Had He drawn back, sin would have won. And He who lives in us can love in us—if we let Him.
We must allow time for change. Change is more often than not a process. I want to emphasize this because many, when once they see the way out of their dilemma, want change to take place too quickly. Some changes in our lives take place quickly. The night I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, a lot of my sinful habits left me. But some didn’t, and the process of change was long and tedious. Deep healing and supernatural change can take place in a moment, but often it takes months of struggle, trial and error, learning and unlearning.
All of us have different timetables when it comes to growing, and no one should judge another’s timetable. There is an assumption that when God is involved, then all change will be instantaneous. It can happen that way, but be prepared also for it to take place over a period of time. A gardener friend of mine says: “Slow growth is good growth.” It is the same in the garden of the soul.
Prayer
Father, help me to be content with Your timetable for my spiritual growth. Sometimes I want to grow more quickly than is good for me. Help me be patient with Your patience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Further Study
2Pt 1:2-8; Ps 1:1-3; Jr 17:7-8; Ezk 31:3-9
What do we grow in?
Compare spiritual growth to a tree’s growing.
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