“While physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8)
Great musicians.
Great athletes.
Great students.
How do people get to a place where they are great in these fields? Untold hours of work and practice. While no one else is watching they are spending untold hours practicing so they can perform when their skills are needed.
Every Christian I know wants to be a good one. That’s a good thing. But we want to be zapped into being good. One moment we were just our normal “me” and then we ask God to make us good and – Zap!
That’s not how it works.
Many are surprised when they discover it takes brutal hours of self-discipline and being stretched through suffering and perseverance in order to be good.
If this is truly our desire, “We must be prepared to do what it takes to produce the inward life of goodness that can transform the soul. Personal formation into the likeness of Christ is arduous and lifelong” (Richard Foster).
So, what do think God’s up to right now in the midst of this pandemic?
Aha! God is at work to shape you and mold you. You’re on your way. Keep at it. Keep up the good work. God is at work in you and me.
Praxis: Faith in Action 