And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – Romans 12:2
“Success takes time”.
That’s the punchline of every biography, interview and documentary examining the lives of remarkable men and women.
They talk about hard work, “lucky breaks”, perseverance, 5,221 failures in a row, emotional turmoil…but all of these are side effects of going on a journey that took longer than “instantly” for them to arrive at their destination.
Kingdom citizens are not exempt from needing to embrace the virtue of patience
Because even though we have been given precious promises that enable us to “partake of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), the next verses that follow instruct us to diligently add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, and patience:
steadfastness, constancy, endurance;
the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty by even the greatest trials and sufferings
We carry the Divine nature…and we operate it through patience.
Not because the things we desire to do “need to take a long time” in the Spirit. But rather because we understand that days, nights, seasons, windows of opportunity are divinely ordered by God.
He’s the reason a baby takes 9 months to form in the womb.
He’s also the reason why a tiny acorn needs more than a decade to become a mature oak tree.
All of these natural processes have been designed, approved and ordained by the Spirit.
Even “instant” miracles performed by Jesus during His 3 years of public ministry at age 30 were preceded by 10,000+ hours of prayer* and communion with God from age 12.
*(1.5 hrs/day × 365 days × 19 yrs = 10,403 hrs)
Apostle Peter, a man whose shadow had the power to heal the sick (Acts 5:15), had to wait for 10 days in the upper room to be filled with the Holy Spirit…having also forsaken everything to spend 3 years walking with Jesus.
Apostle Paul, the former killer of Christians who wrote most of the New Testament Scriptures, and had so much power that even his handkerchiefs could heal the sick (Acts 19:12)…even he spent 3 years in Arabia before performing miracles, signs and wonders in public.
#perspective
All of these examples, and countless others, all testify to the reality that success is a process that takes time.
“How long” some times is determined by how badly you want to succeed, and the intensity of your pursuit to get it.
But whether it’s a long time or a short time, Time is a passenger with you on this journey.
Accepting this truth is the first step towards achieving “overnight success” in every area that requires you to submit to a process.
Rejecting this reality, or arguing with it is the fast track to becoming an instant failure…because it makes you slam the door and bolt it every time Opportunity invites you to come outside and go on Adventure with her.
Don’t be deceived; there is no middle ground. You’re either transforming into an overnight success, or you’re settling into the mold of an instant failure.
The time is going to pass anyway, regardless of what you choose; you might as well use it to transform into something that’s truly remarkable…an “overnight success”.