A Sentence That Will Change Your Life
“He values process, not just finished products.”
For a number of months now I’ve been pondering quite a bit about identity and who we are before God. Maybe more expansively, what it means to be truly human. And then God, in his kindness, brought a book to my attention that explores these very things — a compact tome by Kelly M. Kapic entitled You Were Never Meant to Do It All: A 40-Day Devotional on the Goodness of Being Human.
There’s a great deal going on in that title alone, isn’t there? I’ve texted a picture of its cover to a number of friends over the past couple of weeks, and I’ve chuckled at their responses —
“I do not agree with the title!”
“You’re kidding! Then why am I so busy?”
“Sounds like a book I don’t want to read.”
Some of these said with tongue in cheek, sure, but…revealing.
Because we do think we’re meant to do it all. It’s embedded in our consciousness, and becomes an essential part of our self-understanding, with all kinds of nasty implications. And it’s only in the second part of his title — the goodness of being human — that we discover a way out from such an oppressive and deceptive view of the self. Namely, are we open to actually believing that we are, in fact, merely human; that such a fact demands certain limitations and constraints upon us; and that this state of affairs is, in reality, good, because it is the way that God himself created us in the first place?
Hmmm….
So now let me get to that sentence up above, which has gripped me from “Day 26” of the devotional which I just finished reading earlier this morning —
“He values process, not just finished products.”
The “he” in that sentence is our Father, God, and the “products” in that sentence are us. And it challenges something deep inside of me, that’s maybe deep inside of you too.
Namely, I’ve struggled for the better part of my life (and still do in varying degrees) thinking, so often, that God only truly loves some future version of me, and not me as I am today. What he’s really after is the “finished product” of his sanctifying work in my life, where I’m not still messing up on a daily basis, I’m patient and kind, I’m thoughtful and attentive, well, basically, I’m sifted of all those sins and shortcomings that I — and he — am so aware of. My Father is really looking forward to, and valuing, when I’ll finally arrive.
And this struggle gets us asking questions, doesn’t it? I mean, why doesn’t God instantly change us? He’s certainly got the power to do so, that much we believe. As Kapic observes,
“So we ask: When God extends his grace to our broken and needy lives, why doesn’t he just immediately free us from our faults? Why are our bad habits not erased and positive virtues instantly produced? If God doesn’t like certain sinful attitudes and behaviors, why does it sometimes seem like he stops with forgiving us? Why doesn’t the Almighty also instantly transform us so we never fall short again?”
Huh.
Yeah,…why!?!
Because he values process, not just finished products.
As Kapic further reflects:
“Might it be that though he clearly does not enjoy our sin, he values the process of our growth and the work involved in it, not just the final product?…When we do fall, we suspect that he is surprised and frustrated — as if the holy, omniscient God were naive or ignorant about the ways sin has so deeply affected us or the ways he himself has created us with good limitations.
Subconsciously, we suppose that because we are Christians, our thoughts, words, and actions should be instantly free from ever lapsing into sin and failure again.
When we assume that God is temperamental, the Christian life seems heavy and burdensome rather than hopeful and promising. We endure rather than enjoy it.
But if we better understood our God, who abounds with compassion and grace, we might more freely grow in our Christian lives without being crushed by our weaknesses and limits.”
Friend,
brother or sister in Jesus,
our Father values process, not just finished products.
Our Father is working in the children he dearly loves, not just at the moment when he saved us, and ushered us into his family, but over the course of our whole lives. He is like any earthly father who is continually there with love, gentleness, kindness, patience, encouragement, and support to help his children grow. But even more perfectly and fully. Because he’s God.
Let’s believe this, together, shall we? And let it change and transform and bless us.
Kapic offers some questions for reflection:
How do you approach the fact that God values process as he transforms you to more and more reflect Jesus? Does this process often frustrate you? How does it affect your prayer life?
Do your limits make you feel stunted? If so, how can you incorporate this struggle into your requests before God?
Read Isaiah 40:1-11. Notice the gentleness with which God leads his flock in this passage, concerned as he is for the weakness and fragility of each particular sheep. How does this fit with your understanding of God’s attitude toward you?
I highly commend Kapic’s devotional to you. You can purchase it here.
