Day 28. It Takes Time

Day 28. It Takes Time

I’m reminded of Stephen Covey’s use of the “Law of the Farm” to illustrate the need for process, practice, time for all good things to come to fruition. We cannot harvest what we do not prepare, plant, water, fertilize, and cultivate. Nor can we harvest a seed divinely made to be mature in 180 days in just 100 days. It’s the Law of the Farm!

James W. Fowler, in his classic work on faith development, Stages of Faith, tells us that faith development parallels emotional development. We cannot expect a preschooler to have a complex understanding of God anymore than a field of corn to be ready for harvest on the 4th of July. By the same token, conversion does not instantly change the content of our faith structure. Even atheists have faith. To progress from being “born again” requires the rewriting of the narratives of our lives. It takes time. To use CS Lewis’ example, if we are grass and want to produce wheat we need to make changes deep below the surface. We need to be ploughed up and replanted. It takes time.

In the meantime, what are we to do? Practice.

John Wesley gathered new believers, along with those maturing, into “classes” and encouraged them to practice his “general rules”: To first do no harm; to do good; and to attend to the ordinances of God; such are public worship, the Word, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, Scriptures, fasting, in other words, means of grace. Class leaders were to see each person at least once a week to inquire of their souls, to advise, reprove, exhort, to receive offerings for the poor. These latter class meetings have come to be included in Christian Conferences or holy conversations.

All of these are “practice.” Of them, I cannot emphasize holy conversations enough. Inquiring, examining, praying together, sharing Scripture together, performing Christian service together are essential to spiritual growth. Just as a piano teacher accelerates learning by imparting proper techniques, and a farmers improve the harvest by learning from others the correct fertilizer to apply (correct farming "practices"), so the Christian advances through the means of grace including holy conversations. And we learn most diligently by covenanting with one another and holding ourselves accountable.

Do you have a spiritual partner or covenant group helping you plough and replant?

Blessings,

Rick