So Far, So Good

So Far, So Good

"When we were children." 1 Corinthians 13:11 CEV

A well-known Bible teacher says, "As a new Christian...I tried to become what I thought all Christians were...I thought they'd mastered a level of holiness that seemed to elude me. I admired those 'faith heroes' whose flowery testimonies hung around the ceiling like steam gathering in a shower. They seemed so changed, so sure, so stable...I thought God's love was doled out according to a merit system. If I did well today, God loved me...if I failed, He didn't. What a roller-coaster ride!...I didn't realize everything that's born has to grow and develop to maturity.

I was expecting an immediate, powerful, all-inclusive metamorphosis that would transform me into...perfection." Do you feel that way? Like there's something wrong with you because you never seem to measure up?

Paul says, "When we were children, we...reasoned as children...But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways." Every 'new man' starts out as a child needing time and training to grow up. Quick fix, do-it-yourself righteousness will make you try to impress others with a false sense of holiness. It'll stop you from being honest before God, and make you think you should be further along than you are for your 'spiritual age.' Remember when you were a child and you dressed up in your Mom's high heels or your Dad's work boots? No matter how much you wanted them to fit, they didn't look right.

That didn't mean there was something wrong with you; it just meant you were exactly where you should have been for your age. And it's the same in your walk with God. It's important to give Him time