The Long Game
Background Story: Peter was a disciple of Jesus, called from the humble life of a fisherman to be a leader in the early church.
Read 1 Peter 5:5-10
In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.
Big Idea: God is patiently preparing us for the destination.
I tend to be a box checker and choose the path of least resistance. If there is a sign up to bring something for a meal… I bring the plastic forks or paper plates because it’s easy. God isn’t like me. He isn’t a box checker or interested in choosing the easiest path from point A to point B. God is patient and focused on changing us each day into the image of His Son. And sometimes this path of transformation requires time where He teaches and prepares us in the journey.
We see this process in the life of Joseph, Abraham, Paul, and the Israelites. Joseph saw vision for his life as a teen, but it took years that included pain, hardship, and service where he was humbled, learned dependency, and grew in faithfulness before he was placed in the court of Pharaoh (Genesis 37-46). Abraham heard the call of God and His promise to make him a great nation, but decades passed where he learned faith, obedience, sacrifice, and dependency on Him before the promise was fulfilled (Genesis 12-22). Paul was called by God to preach to the nations but spent three years being taught before God launched him into ministry (Galatians 1:11-24). And of course the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert learning to trust God for every need they had so that when they entered the promised land, they could walk in faith, obedience, and victory (Deuteronomy 29-31).
Today God is doing something in you, so in the future, God can do something through you. Trust His process and lean into Him during this time. Spend time in His word, in communication with Him, and in relationship with people who are chasing after Him. Open your hands in surrender to the Holy Spirit’s transformation recognizing this time is necessary for the future He has in store.
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