By Pastor Anthony L.Scott
“Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10a, NASB)
For many people, life has become so filled with the “if-onlys” of the past and “what ifs” of the future, that today has merely become an inconvenient obstacle used to reminisce about yesterday while simultaneously pondering the path to tomorrow. As Walker Percy observed in his novel Lancelot, “To live in the past and future is easy. To live in the present is like threading a needle.”
During most of our lives, we have a natural tendency to invest our energies in goals and accomplishments we hope to achieve in days ahead. In doing so, some make an unconscious switch to living in the past while others rush ahead to the future. In both cases we totally ignore living in the present. The process God sets for our spiritual development does not eliminate planning or goal setting for without a clear vision of the results, we will never move in the direction of purpose.
The best metaphor for life as a whole and for the spiritual life in particular is that of a journey. Literature both sacred and secular abounds with this imagery. If we are following Christ, we are headed for home, but there are stages along the way and lessons to be learned. Part of trusting God daily is learning to respond to His providential care and accepting the pilgrim character of our earthly existence with its uncertainties, setbacks, disappointments, surprises, and joys. With this mindset we come to understand all things as a part of the process of being gradually conformed to the image of Christ. Seen in this light, the primary purpose for our earthly habitation is preparation for our eternal citizenship in heaven.
In this life, we stumble in many ways because we are still in process. Spiritual formation is a lifelong process of becoming in our character and actions the new creations we already are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and working out what God has already worked in us (Philippians 2:12-13).
Nature teaches us that growth is not uniform. Like a vine or a tree, there may be more growth in a single month then in all the rest of the year. If we fail to accept this uneven developmental process, we will be impatient with God and with ourselves as we wait for the next growth spurt. In a culture of instant gratification, it can be wearisome for us to wait for God’s timing. Many of us are tempted to bypass the process and take matters into our own hands to achieve the results we want.
Because of a lack of success on the basketball court, the Philadelphia 76’ers have been granted quite a few number one draft picks in recent history. As a result of injuries to Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Markelle Futlz, and others, the franchise found itself in a holding pattern for a few years. Having the resolve to resist discouragement and trust the process, they are now positioned as one of best teams in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. In life we have to trust God’s process. God sends us a divine directive to be still. He intentionally removes the hurry from our steps in order that He might correct our cadence. As you walk with God daily this week, know that He sees your end from the beginning.
