It takes time.

There are no shortcuts to maturity.

It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth takes time.

When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. In American, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Then before they are sold those green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.

The moment you open yourself to Christ, God gets a beachhead in your life. You may think you have surrendered all your life to him, but the truth is there is a lot to your life tht you aren't even aware of. You can only give God as much of you as you understand at the moment. It's okay. Once Christ is given a beachhead, he begins the campaign to take over more and mroe territory until all of your life is completely his. There will be struggles and battles but the outcome will never be in doubt.

Today we're obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability than swiftness. We want the quick fix, teh shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar, or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all tempation and release us from all groing pains. But real maturity is never teh result of a single experienc,e no matter how powerful or moving. Growith is gradual.

Although God could instantly transform us, he has chosen to develop us slowly. Jesis is deliberate in developing his disciples. Just as God allowed the Israelites to take over the Promised Land "little by little" so they wouldn't be overwhelmed, he prefers to work in incremental steps in our lives.

Why does it take so long to change and grow up? There are several reasons.

We are slow learners. We often have to relearn a elsson forty or fifty times to really get it. The problems keep recurring, and we think, " not again! I've learned that!" but God knows better.

We have a lot to unlearn. Many people go to a counselor with a personal or relational problem that took years to develop and say " I need you to fix me. I've got an hour:. They naively expect a quick solution to a long-standing, deep-rooted difficulty. Since most of our problems- and all of our bad habits-didn't develop overnight, its unrealistic to expect them to go away immediately. There is no pill, prayer, or principle taht will instantly undo the damage of many years.

We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves. I have already pointed out that the truth will set us free but it often makes us miserable first. The fear of what we might discover if we honestly faced our character defects keeps us living in the prison of denial.

Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change; there is no change wihtout fear or loss; and there is no loss without pian. Every change involves a loss of some kind: You must let go of old ways in order to experience the new.

Habits take time to develop. Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits. You can't claim to be kind unless you are habitually kind-you show kindness without even thinking about it. You can't claim to have integrity unless it is your habit to always be honest.

Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it. Spiritual growth is sometiems tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement.

Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation.

Be patient with God and with yourself. One of life's furstrrations is that God's timetable is raeley the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn't. You may feel frustrated with teh seemingly slow progress you're making in life. Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.

Don't get discouraged. Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for "Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet". God isnt' finsihed with you either, so keep on moving forward, even the snail reached the ark by perserving!
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point to ponder: There are no shortcuts to maturity.

Verse to remember: " God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again." Philippians 1:6

Question to consider: In what area of my spiritual growth do I need to be more patient and persistent?