SEPTEMBER 2 – IT TAKES TIME

 Friends, do you remember where you were; how you acted, when Jesus first rescued you? It wasn’t your brains, nor your power, nor your social standing, that caused God to choose you. That’s not how He works. He picks the least and makes them into the best.      (1 Corinthians 1:26-28)

                   Do you always focus on the superstars? Have you established a culture where those who are the brightest and best get all your attention? Have you ever considered that you may be overlooking people in whom God intended for you to invest – simply because they didn’t fit your definition of importance?

                  If so, Paul has an important word for you in this counsel. God has a history of late bloomers. It is His habit to take people from where they are, and work in them in a way that is creative and surprising. In the Lord’s kingdom, remember that there is irony. “The last will be first (Matthew 20:16).” Paul speaks of process over time (Philippians 1:6), and David acknowledged the same (Psalm 138:8). That is why you are so dependent each moment on the Spirit’s leadership. You can’t predict which person is the one in whom you should invest. You don’t know what they need, nor how to address that need apart from God’s work in you.

                  Recognize that God works in people’s lives over time. Understand that you will sometimes be part of the early years in the life of a late bloomer.