Day 27 - Issue 26
Galatians 2:20 NLT
'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'
Conforming to God’s will for my life often creates friction within me. I know what I want to do and largely it’s not sinful. It’s more a question of priorities, but my instinctive priorities may not be my heavenly Father’s. God is not insistent, I am left with freedom to do as I choose – which has been God’s way from the moment he created humanity.
The struggle is aptly described here by Paul. It’s as if I struggle between my own persona, forever made in the image of God, and my pursuit of Jesus, the likeness of God. The degree to which I progress within my Christian discipleship lies entirely within my gift. It is as John the Baptist succinctly describes discipleship, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV).
Carol Dweck, one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and professor of psychology at Stanford University, has focused her research on why people succeed, and how to foster success. She’s a great advocate of the phrase “not yet” since it encourages individuals to continue their attempts to master any new learning. Christianity, much like examination boards, is too often reduced to a pass or fail culture. If I feel I have failed, I keep quiet about it on the outside yet it undermines my confidence in God within.
Israel, travelling to the Promised Land, encountered a number of “not yet” moments. Their moaning and disobedience didn’t prevent their ultimate, eventual arrival. Each “not yet” created delays, yet each proved an opportunity for developing faith in and understanding of God. Each pause could birth a renewed and deeper faith. So too our walk of faith is punctuated with “not yet” moments. Each one offers an invitation to respond with enquiry as to how to move on.
QUESTION: How do you handle “not yet” moments?
PRAYER: Lord, help me learn in all the challenges of life how to obey you.
