Set 

Getting stronger doesn’t happen overnight. Neither does shaving a few seconds off your 40-yard dash time. We put in the work. Then, at some point, we see results.

Growth takes time.

When we want to strengthen our faith, we hope for an easy training where we can see fast results and avoid anything that’s hard. But this isn’t how God works. Only He has the end result in sight, and only He has the best action plan and route to get us there. Sometimes, it’s a lot of work. Sometimes, there’s struggle. And sometimes, it takes a whole lot longer than we’d like. But there are results, and we are stronger on the other side.

You are growing:

In Humility

The world tells us to be louder, more prominent and confident to the extreme of bragging. God’s Kingdom says otherwise. Yes, we have confidence that cannot be shaken because of our identity as God’s child, but we have a deeper confidence that calls forth a gentle and loving heart poised to serve those around us, not demand that others serve us. Humility is a heavenly trait, one Jesus took on by leaving Heaven and becoming fully human. His life was full of humble acts of service and upside-down teaching, and our hearts can be turned toward His example.

In Strength

True strength stems from submission. When we stay connected to God in daily prayer, Bible reading and inviting Him into our day, His Spirit moves in us to give us all we need in each moment. It’s not by our own efforts that we gain strength; it’s from relying on God’s power to show up and equip us for endurance to get through hard situations or find the right words in a difficult conversation. Trying to make things happen on our own can take away our energy. Drop the effort and fall into God’s strength; He will enable you with what you need.

In Wisdom

God gives us wisdom. All we need to do is ask. The more we lean into God’s Word to know and experience His heart and character, the deeper we grow in the spiritual world that inhabits the physical world in which we live. With biblical understanding comes wisdom, which allows us to assess situations with a spiritual lens.

How do we navigate difficult relationships? Go to God and ask Him how to handle it. We can season our words with grace and truth, which draws others into the greater story God is inviting them into. Keep seeking wisdom; God gives freely.

Remember: God loves growing us into the image of His Son. He sees who we can become, and He longs to get us there.