Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53

“Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” — Luke 8:15

I want quick results, visible progress, and measurable outcomes…asap. I want to work out for a month (tops!) and reach my goal weight. I want to speak to someone clearly, with kindness, and have them immediately understand me. I want to take piano lessons for a few weeks and play like a professional. And yes, I want to make my Lenten sacrifice and have perfect inner peace by Easter! It’s so hard not to bring this seemingly efficient attitude into my spirituality. Can you relate?

But God works slowly.

We can force behavioral change, but can we force alignment with God? Our Spirit grows gradually, organically, what feels like invisibly at first, through seasons of planting and waiting.

I no longer feel disappointed by my slow growth….most of the time. Becoming divinely human is the work of a lifetime, not a season.

Perseverance is the art of returning. Perseverance isn’t needing immediate proof; it’s the willingness (and self-forgiveness) to begin again and trust in God. I trust that God is working beneath the surface in better ways than I could ever imagine, in the rich soil of my heart and soul.

I am getting so much more skilled at releasing the outcome. My job is to plant and tend. God nurtures the growth. I look for the subtle signs now: my willingness to embrace failure, my choice to listen to the quiet voice beneath the loud inner critic, the moment I catch myself starting to judge, and instead turn toward curiosity.

Trust the timing of God. Keep your heart generous. Persevere in faithfulness.

The harvest is coming at the perfect time and in the perfect way. Some of it is already here, tender and green, pushing toward the surface.

Shanti Piper
OCIA, Scripture Encounter, Hospitality

What things are you anxious about? For what do you want immediate results? How can I become more patient with slow growth? What in my life needs more tending so that I can embrace God’s work in me?

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