In late September, Tami and I were looking at our home and discussing the need to do a little remodeling. We moved into our home several years ago, and except for painting a few rooms, we’ve really done nothing to update our décor. We decided we would remove the wallpaper located in our kitchen and breakfast area, texture the walls, and paint. Both of us agreed to the project but we also agreed that I’d do the work by myself. The only disclaimer I added was that it would be done by early December. Later that week we had family members who couldn’t believe Tami would agree to this timeline. In fact, there are probably some wives reading this and thinking, “Why would Tami agree to such a long period of time?”
As I think about my home project I find myself drawing comparisons to the spiritual journey that we’re all on. Wouldn’t it be nice to come to church, accept Jesus as our Savior, and then be a fully mature believer at the same time? Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. We accept Christ into our hearts and then begin a journey that will last the rest of our lives. It’s a journey where some understand we’re not perfect but God is working on us daily, while others act amazed if we don’t display the characteristics of someone who has been saved for years.
The reason I needed so much time for the house is because there are many weekends when I’m obligated to other things and do not have time to work on the home project. In October, I started removing the wallpaper, and it took several days to steam it off one piece at a time. I can proudly say that last week I finished removing the last of the wallpaper, applied primer to avoid issues with glue residue left behind, and then textured the walls. This week I applied a second coat of primer over the texture and now we are ready to paint. My final goal, which was to be reached in early December, will most likely be done by the end of this week or early the next. Please don’t tell Tami so I can brag how quick I am! So now that you’ve heard the process, hopefully you can appreciate the disclaimer. It’s not that I didn’t want it done in the first week, but I understood all the steps involved in the simple task of painting a room. Those steps could not be done in a matter of minutes, and if I tried to shortcut or skip any steps, then the final result would have been a mess.
My spiritual growth is the same way. There are many steps to this journey that need to take time to develop. There are no shortcuts, and if I try to create them I can jeopardize what God has planned for me. Remember in the Old Testament when King Saul was preparing to go to battle against the Philistines in I Samuel 13? He was required to wait for Samuel, the prophet who was appointed by God to offer burnt offerings, to come and offer a burnt offering before Israel could go into battle. Samuel was delayed, so King Saul decided he would do it himself, skipping a step established by God. It was because of this disobedience and skipping the step that God had established that King Saul’s heirs would never rule Israel. Decide today to do it God’s way. The process may take longer to complete, but you’ll be stronger and blessed by God for your obedience.
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