OK, it MAY happen in a day. God can do amazing things. He just might step in and part the Red Sea for you. I’ve seen God do it. And it can be exhilarating! Hallelujah!
But what if it doesn’t? What if you wait – and wait, and wait? Are you not asking in faith? Are you doing something wrong? Is God not really up to the task? Does He not care as much as you thought He did? Are you not using the right prayer formula?
It may well have taken a long time to get where you are now. And it may well take time to make things different. Just because nothing seems to change overnight does not mean you’re doing something wrong. Or that God is not involved every moment.
Think of the possibilities:
- You spent months or years eating unhealthy food, not exercising, getting overweight, and perhaps smoking. Now you’ve developed diabetes, joint pain, or heart disease. Why can’t a simple prayer for healing fix everything?
- You spent months or years developing a way of relating in your marriage that is only conflict, anger, misunderstanding, no communication, and perhaps infidelity. Why can’t you fix it with a simple heart-felt apology?
- You spent months or years spending money unwisely, racking up debt, and paying no attention to long-term savings. Why can’t one lottery win or one financial blessing from God fix it all?
- You spent months or years in a destructive lifestyle – addiction, pornography, gambling, cheating, and/or sexually acting out. Why can’t it all go away with one night “at the altar,” asking God’s forgiveness?
I’ve seen God do quick miracles. And I’ve seen God do even bigger long-term miracles. Sometimes He removes the results of our bad behavior in a single dramatic gesture. And sometimes He allows those painful results to stick around. Sometimes He walks us through changing our behavior and heals our heart, whether or not the outward results are changed. That kind of change and healing may be the biggest miracle of all.
The belief that everything should change and become easy once someone becomes a Christian has led to much confusion and discouragement. You determine to be different, and seek God’s intervention. And you expect something good to happen. But the next morning you’re still overweight. You’re still sick. Your spouse still doesn’t trust you. Your bank balance is still in the red. You still feel that pull to an addiction. You still feel angry.
If that’s you, don’t give up. As awesome as a quick miracle may be, a changed character is an even bigger miracle. A changed character comes from the inside out.
And that takes time
Are you willing to invest that time? Short or long, God may just have a miraculous outcome waiting for you in the process.
Your turn: Where have you been discouraged in waiting for a miracle? Do you see God working on some deeper character change? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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