But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4
We’ve just come through a hectic couple of weeks at my house, so knowing we’d all be home for dinner, I put a pork roast in the crock pot. By early afternoon, the aromas filled the downstairs and by dinnertime we were all more than ready to dig in. Admittedly, with a tender, moist roast, infused with the all the right seasonings, it was difficult to remember it wasn’t Thanksgiving.
Now imagine if I had taken that same roast and thrown it in the microwave.
Wouldn’t be the same, would it? Oh, I might be able to come close. Maybe. But when I think of microwaves, I think of popcorn. Quick. Easy.
Oftentimes, I bring a microwave mentality to my relationship with Christ rather than a crock pot one. I expect growth and progress to be quick and easy. I expect answers and understanding to come while I wait.
That’s not how God operates, though.
The process of making me Christlike is long and slow. It’s meant to soften me, and infuse me with the fragrance of Christ. It’s deep and enduring. The Message puts it like this:
So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:4
Patient. Mature. Well-developed. Not deficient. That’s worth waiting for.