Taken from Rick Warren...
When you think about your walk with Jesus, some days you may be wondering, "why is this so hard? I'm still struggling with so many problems. When will I finally get it right?"
In my journey as a pastor, I've learned that spiritual growth is often like the growth we see in nature - the best fruit ripens slowly.
The problem is we tend to get impatient, so we dig up the seed to check the progress of its growth, and that slows down our growth! If you're not seeing as much fruit as you'd like, don't despair. Growth takes time.
In the meantime, try these steps for spiritual growth:
1- Nurture growth with God's Word -- I know you're already doing this, but when you read the promises of God, again and again, it helps you remember that He is at work, even when you can't see him at work: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
2- Cooperate with God as he prunes -- Praise God for the work He's doing in your life, remembering "He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more." (John 15:2 NLT)
3- Pray through the fruit list -- Pray through the "fruit list" (the fruit of the Spirit) from Galatians 5:22-23. The NIV Bible lists the fruit as LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL. Ask God to help you grow this fruit in your life.
WOOOOOOOOWEEEEEE!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Man it has been awhile since i have been on here but I had to share this with you all! So much has happened in the last month, it's unbelievable! God is amazing!
I don't know how things are going in your life but for me....life can be hard, and its even harder when you know where you are in life and where you need to be in life and or where you want to be in life... But we have to remember that life is a process and we have to understand that we have to have FAITH. The Bible says that Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. That is the kind of FAITH you have to have. WE have to remember that the best things of nature ripen slowly. So in order to be the best and have the best we have to be patient and do our best in life.
Whatever tunnel you may be going through, believe that there is light at the end...
Whatever valley you may be in, believe that there are always peaks...
Whatever situation or circumstance you may be in, believe and know that God will see you through it if you seek, ask, and trust in HIM.
