March 23

IT TAKES TIME

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good w_ork in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for a fruit to mature and ripe. The same is true for the fruit of the

Spirit. The development of Christ-like character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. The same is true for success in other areas of our lives.

When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavour. In most commercial farms, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won't bruise during shipping to the market. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but they are no match to the flavour of a vine-ripened tomato that is allowed to mature slowly.

While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concerned about how strong we grow. God views our lives from and for eternity, so he is never in a hurry.

The moment you open yourself to Christ, God begins His work in you. His purpose is to make you holy, healthy, and prosperous. For Him to do this work you must trust Him and surrender totally to Him. You may think you have surrendered all your life to him, but the truth is, there is a lot to your life that you aren't even aware of. You can only give God as much of you as you understand at that moment. Once Christ enters your heart, he begins the campaign to take over more and more territory until all of your life is completely his.

God has promised to finish the work He has begun in you. He is at work in you to bring you to "the full measure of the stature of Christ". And He will not rest till he finishes His work.

Prayer: By faith, surrender yourself to the Lord; tell Him to have His way and do His work in you.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 1:1-8