Day 12 | There’s No Shortcut to Spiritual Maturity

Galatians 6:9

One of my dreams is to run the NYC marathon.

I’ve attempted the last few years, but due to injuries, I’ve had to bow out of training. But when I was in the middle of my preparation, I remember the hardest part of starting my long runs was knowing that it was just going to take time. There were no shortcuts, no quick fixes, I just had to accept that for the next 1-2 hours I was going to be running.   

I’ve found that when it comes to following Jesus, especially in our current context, the long haul is not something that many people want to sign up for.

We’re happy to check out church for a season and we will carry joy for a few months, but when we think about following Jesus for a lifetime, that’s where things get dicey. The problem is that just like my long runs, there are no shortcuts. There’s no fast track to fruit in your life. There’s no shortcut to spiritual maturity. You just have to accept that it’s going to happen over time and that’s the way God intended it. 

In a world of instant, endurance is more important than ever because it helps us to follow Jesus even when we don’t feel like it, even when we don’t see His hand moving.

Endurance is evidence that our faith is genuine because it means that we don’t give up when things get hard. Anyone can leave a situation when it becomes unfavorable, but when you can commit to following Jesus even when there are storms and valleys, it speaks to the value Jesus has in our lives. 

What’s more is that endurance produces joy in us because endurance purifies our motives and desires. Endurance shows that we are pressing on despite the changes in circumstances, situations and seasons and the one constant in all those things in the presence of Jesus. 

Today, if you feel weary or hopeless, fix your eyes on the One who invites you to come close and rest in Him.