Wednesday, December 8, 2010

God's Growth Schedule

Today, I was pondering over a brother's sharing about how he feels his spiritual growth is very slow. Then I saw a post mentioning about accelerating our spiritual growth. So cool!

At the same time, I was thinking about my slowness in doing the ebook, including the illustrations. Suddenly it struck me that God made the universe one day at a time. He split up the Project into several separate smaller tasks. So I felt assured that I don't always need to squeeze as much work as possible into a rigid 8-hour workday, but rather, I can go for the simpler option of one or two tasks per day.

I mean, if this kind of project management is good enough for God, I think I can try it the same way... :)

But thinking further, I wonder: why did God choose this kind of schedule? He could just as well make the entire universe all at once. Yet, one of the first things He created was time itself, which seems to have happened after He created light (creation of day and night). And then He chose to continue operating within the restrictive framework of time.

(On a separate sideline, could time essentially be a function of the speed of light? Theoreticians have long puzzled about how time came to be - and why it is so hard to define and elucidate the very nature (and direction) of time. Maybe it has something to do with the speed and/or existence of light? Ha... if there's time (pun not intended), I'll go look up the formulae for General Relativity to shed some light on this matter (double-entendre doubly-unintended!))

Yeah. So that's something to ponder about. But one thing I do know is that God created the universe, one day at a time. And for some reason, He is making us anew, more & more, into the image of His Son, one day at a time.

If you compare the 1984 and 2010 NIV translations of 2 Corinthians 5:17, you'll see even more clearly the reality of God making a new creation... not only are we becoming new creations... the new universe is also in the works too every time someone comes to know Christ & grow up in Him! (and the cosmic progress bar inches forwards just that little more... "Downloading Universe 7... please wait...")

2 Corinthians 5:17 (2010)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

And so, all of creation groans, waiting in eager expectation, waiting for the sons of God to be revealed. One day, one glorious day, we will finally be like Jesus - but not yet.

Romans 8
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

But for now, God's at work in you, one day at a time. Spiritual growth - one day at a time. God's grace is enough to carry you through one day at a time.

So today is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Amen? :)

Sent from my iPhone

No comments: