It's A Process
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16
How many of you have ever aspired to be good at something? Maybe even desired to be great at something. Golfer, football player, chef, banker, pastor, hockey player, musician, husband, father, etc., etc. Did you just decide one day that you wanted to be great at whatever it was, and then woke up the next morning and you were great at it? I am going to go out on a limb and say that it probably did not happen that way.
Now, I’m not necessarily talking about being the best there ever was at whatever you wanted to be or do, but rather, being the best that YOU could be with the talents the Lord has given you. Regardless of what it was, you did not become great overnight. You had to go through a process to get where, what, you wanted. For me, one of my passions is the gym. I love to workout. I have been competitively powerlifting for almost five years. I have set goals throughout those five years. I had set one-year goals, goals for my second year, and then goals for each year thereafter. I had also set long term goals in my first year and I am coming up on them.
Here is the thing; I did not just set these goals and then do nothing in hopes that they would just happen at the end of the year. I had to go through a process. I hired a trainer that would help me achieve my goals. He knew what I needed and how I could attain the goals, He put together a master plan for me to achieve all of my goals. Once this was in place, then the fun began. I did not just go to the gym and look at workout for that day or go stand by each piece of equipment and hope my muscles would grow and I would get stronger. I actually had to do the work. I had to load the machines with weight and move it. And each week as I got stronger, I was able to add more weight. I was able to add more, different, exercises that would cause my muscles to continue to grow and grow in different ways. Do not get me started on the diet that I have to follow. LOL!
Just as there is a process with powerlifting, there is also a process in the journey as a Christ follower. After we give our life in faith to Christ, we start the process of becoming more and more like Christ. This process is called sanctification. We are becoming holy like He is holy. We do not wake up one morning and are “there”. We have to desire to become more like Christ. When we do, we will put plans in place and will strive to reach our goals. We read scripture, we pray, we go to church, we are active in a Life Group, we find a mentor who has been there and knows how to help us along the journey. We put the tools and strategies in place that will help us become a fully devoted follower of Christ.
There were days I had no desire to go to the gym, but if I wanted to achieve the goals I had put in place, I knew I could not miss the workout. There have been injuries and setbacks along the way. I would do what I needed to do to get back on track on press on toward the goal. And, so it is with our journey with Christ. It is not a matter of if, but when we have those setbacks in our sanctification process. The plan does not always go the way we thought it would go. The important thing is that we pick up the pieces and press on.
If you have not already, I encourage you to do the things, put into place, the tools and strategies that will help you with the process of becoming more like Christ. Becoming more like Christ is not just going to happen. You have to desire it and put in the necessary work to achieve it. And one day you will reach your goal. All the work will be worth it. But until then, we must press on…
Love you all and praying for you today!
Pastor Tim Fus
Pastor of Worship Ministries