I feel like I’m doing everything in slow motion so far this morning. It’s not that I’m not up and moving; it’s just that everything I do seems to take me twice the time and effort. There’s no explanation for it. It just is. Tori even seems to share my general sense of malaise. As I type, she’s lying next to me with all four feet in the air, and she’s snoring.
And maybe that’s not such a bad picture of faith. Me, not Tori, just to be clear.
When it comes to faith, as in so many things in life, we want to know that we’re getting somewhere. We like to see measurable results. Differences we can post on a chart or graph. But sometimes faith feels like we’re moving in slow motion.
We pray, but nothing seems to change. We take another step, but we’re not sure we’re any closer than we were yesterday. We keep trusting, even when we can’t see what God is doing.
And yet, the important thing is to keep moving forward.
Maybe that’s why the Bible so often equates growth in faith with the growth of a tree. So much happens underground, where we can’t see it, where its roots are reaching deeper into the soil. From the outside, it may look as though nothing is happening. But underneath the surface, something important is taking place.
Faith can be like that.
There are seasons when we don’t see much growth. We wonder if we’re making any spiritual progress at all. But when it comes to faith, growth comes in the daily effort to just show up and “do.” It isn’t dramatic or flashy … it’s faithful.
It’s in our faithfulness that God strengthens our roots. Teaches us patience. Deepens our trust. Develops a faith that doesn’t depend on everything going the way we think it should.
As the apostle Paul reminds us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Notice those words: “if we do not give up.” Nothing flashy or glamorous there. Just the reminder to keep moving, even if progress is slow. Even if you can’t see the progress. Because roots don’t grow in a hurry. But they grow deep.
Prayer: Lord, when I feel like I’m moving slowly and wonder if I’m making any progress, remind me that you are always at work. Strengthen my roots when I can’t see the growth. Give me patience to trust your timing and faithfulness to keep taking the next step. Help me not to worry so much about growing fast, but to keep my focus on growing deep. Amen.
