Friend to Friend

God whispered that call to growth over your heart and you were ready, right then. Growth in your faith. Growth in your understanding. Growth in confidence. Growth in a relationship.

Then that thing happened.

A pandemic.

An illness.

An unexpected loss.

A struggle.

So, you asked, “Lord, did I really hear you? How can I grow when things are so hard?”

In today’s verse, Paul is speaking to a church who longs to give everything to Jesus. They are growing, but it feels challenging. They are in a culture that doesn’t appreciate their faith. They are trying to “unlearn” what they’ve always believed to be true. They are in the heart of persecution. Yet Paul assures them that God is faithful. God would be the instrument of their spiritual growth, regardless of the difficulties they experienced along the way. His advice is simple and straightforward:

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV)

When we sense God asking us to go deeper in our faith, we may believe it should feel easy. The truth is it might feel overwhelming. Consider all those in scripture who heard an invitation to grow in their faith and trust, and then, bam! They experienced loss, were thrown into a pit, placed in jail unjustly, judged, dismissed, or thrust into a wilderness.

God was faithful to show up, but also to help them grow up in all of it.

Those obstacles weren’t just detours or delays but a potential development in their spiritual growth. They learned of God’s faithfulness firsthand. They discovered that His promises were true. They were stretched spiritually as they placed their faith in Him, rather than in their circumstances. They gained depth in their faith that would carry them all their days as believers. That invitation to spiritual growth is for you and me, even as we experience delays and detours and hard places.

So, how do we lean into God’s faithfulness when it feels like we are in a delay or detour?

• Remind ourselves of God’s invitation

That invitation is real. God longs for us to know Him. He longs for us to know the power and presence of faith. Spiritual growth is not a one-time, one-and-done adventure. It’s a lifetime of walking with God. That invitation began on day one when we said “yes” to Him, and it continues throughout our lifetime.

• Remind ourselves that this is a partnership

We have the capability to grow on our own, but the good news is we don’t have to. We can call on God in every part of our faith life: in our relationships, in our workplace, with our children, our friends, in our ministry, and in our day-to-day ordinary lives. Ask Him to show you, to teach you, to walk with you. As you do, He expedites the growth process because He sees what you may not.

God is faithful.

That’s His promise.

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV).

These are words we can hold onto, whether we are in a detour or a delay or in the sweetest season of our lives. We are being developed into faith warriors, right where we are.

 

Let’s Pray

God, You are faithful. You are faithful in the delays. You are faithful in the detours. You are faithful as I read these words today, and when I wake up tomorrow. Thank You for growing my faith. Thank You for increasing my understanding. I lean into You today and thank You for being present and powerful in every part of my life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Now It’s Your Turn

In what ways do you long to grow in your faith? Ask God to meet you, right where you are today. Share your thoughts with Him. Open your heart to what He longs to show you today and every day.

 

More from the Girlfriends

If you are in a delay or detour, it might be difficult to know what to say to God. Suzie’s brand new book, Prayer Starters: Talking with God About Hard Times is not a book about prayer, but a book to help you connect with God through prayer in whatever season you find yourself.

(As an Amazon Associate, Girlfriends in God earns A SMALL COMMISSION from qualifying purchases using this paid link.)

 

You can also download some fun Prayer Starters freebies on Suzie’s website.

© 2023 by Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.

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