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“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

“Happy Friyah!”  Those were the words echoing from my lips as I left the office. Everybody loves a Friday – sleeping in on Saturday feels ever so good to this working girl. Chilling, grabbing a great read and sipping on my fave iced tea – what could be better. Sounds too good to be true, right?

My “Happy Friyah” ended up being a mowing kind of night. You got it  – this girl was kickin it around the lawn. And when I made that final cut, I couldn’t wait to see how many steps I’d gotten in. One big problem, my watch didn’t record a single one; I was totally disappointed. Really?? Just because I couldn’t see any steps on my watch didn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Sound familiar? We do it all the time. We quickly doubt or dismiss what we can’t see.  The visible staring us in the face doesn’t resemble what we envisioned. Or perhaps, we’re simply afraid to look because deep inside we don’t see anything.

Growth is like that isn’t it? We don’t always see what God is doing around us and within us. Probably the exact reason why we minimize even tiny growth sprouts. When we become zeroed in on self work versus God’s work, we will always come up short.

Yet every moment in God’s presence, He is planting seeds within us. Like fertilizer for the soul, the daily reading of God’s word transforms us from the inside out. Every step of faith we take deepens our trust in Him. Like tiny little sprouts previously unseen by the human eye gently pushing through the soil of our hearts, His work within starts to break through. Our thoughts, actions, reactions and words begin reflecting the very heart of God – the one we were created to bear His image. A flourishing we didn’t’ even glimpse, yet one that was taking place day by day.

Sweet friends, consistency is key when it comes to growth and our enemy, Satan,  doesn’t want us to gain momentum or clarity. Defeat is more to his liking, so he reminds us and tricks us into thinking that growth is impossible. He uses discouragement to slay us when we don’t see significant progress. He uses disappointment to plague us when two steps forward results in four steps backward.

The enemy’s lies can definitely hinder and sabotage our growth, but he doesn’t have the final say. The decision to consistently soak in God’s presence, study His word, and take leaps of faith even when we can’t see growth will result in a deep soul work beyond our imagination. The old us will experience a major pivot as the new us flourishes. Can’t think of a better way to silence the attacks of Satan than to glorify God with the evidenced growth in our lives and reflect His image to our world.

“Father, help us to trust You with the work You are doing within us. Teach us to not give up but rather press through even when we don’t yet see all You are doing.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life