This life, therefore is not Godliness, but the process of becoming godly; not health, but getting well; not being, but becoming; not rest, but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything will be cleansed.
Have you ever noticed how often our lives as Christians are described as a journey, as being on our way, being on a path or a road? Both Advent and Lent are often referred to with these terms, as we prepared the royal highway for the coming King; and coming next week, we follow Jesus’ path to Jerusalem and then to the cross.
Our instant, super-fast world has little patience for the kind of travel of 2,000 years ago. We can hardly comprehend sitting on a donkey plodding along a dusty, rough road, or simply walking to our destination. We love to find a short cut, with fewer traffic signals or stop signs, and perhaps even a higher speed limit, to get where we are going. But many goals are not quickly or easily reached. How many times have you heard of someone referred to (perhaps with tongue in cheek) as an “overnight success”? In most cases, that’s a considerable overstatement, as it’s quite obvious that it took the person a great deal of hard work, persistence, and dedication to achieve that level of accomplishment.
Martin Luther may have lived, written, taught and preached over 500 years ago, but his words are still fresh and true for us today. What wonderfully, encouraging words these are — we are in process, we are on the right road, and we can always have hope because God is with us and leading us along the way!
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers