Patience to Make Beautiful Progress with Jesus

When I don’t make immediate progress in my shortcomings, I feel discouraged.

Change feels impossible. I start to believe my struggles are too massive to overcome. Anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, fear… the list goes on, yet a shift in perspective can change it all.

One day, as I marveled at the paintings at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, I thought about the amount of time and energy that it took the artists to craft each of those pieces.

There was obvious intention and precision in the portraits. Each detail—whether raw in its strokes or smooth—was placed there for a reason. There was beauty in the undefined parts when you looked closely and appreciated the details.

It dawned on me then that when I shift my perspective to think about my creator that I can see myself as he sees me: a masterpiece. Change takes time, and he is doing it.

Each detail of our lives is planned, for a reason, for our good. Creators take time to make something beautiful. They think about the details and are purposeful. Their intentions are to do the best job.

When we feel discouraged in our progress, it’s important to remember we are made in the image of our God.

There is beauty in our trials; our shortcomings are blessings that direct us to depend on him and see his power at work, firsthand, in our hearts and lives.

It’s difficult when change doesn’t happen immediately… but what if on the way to seeking the progress we desire, we become more deeply rooted in God?

Progressing to be more like Jesus

Paul, in the book of Philippians, helps to direct us to Christ in this manner. We, too, can be encouraged by his words.

He lived a life that the world at his time would see as righteous. Yet he came to realize that true righteousness came only by knowing and living for Christ.

He explains this in Philippians 3:12 (NLT):

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.”

We should remember that our salvation is a gift and we did nothing to deserve it. We can only have a relationship with God because Jesus took our place on the cross.

We need to be willing participants to let God work in us. Jesus’s work in us will transform us to be more like him; to walk in his will. We can trust that he sees the areas we need pruning and is growing us for his purposes.

Trusting him is key. When we trust, we see his power.

Tips to progress in Jesus

Pray. Prayer is so powerful; it changes you. Sometimes it’s just a posture change, or maybe your circumstances change, but change occurs. You can pray for his desires and not yours. Pray for him to search you and prune you. Pray he reveals the areas you need to grow in and humble yourself before him to allow him to work.

Don’t doubt your salvation. No matter how long we have been following Jesus, we need to still get excited and be humbled that he saved us. He died a brutal death for us. It’s true every day and it needs to be a source of awe every day. When we continually remember it and our hearts are in awe of it, we are secure in it. It moves us to be servants of him.

Thank him daily for what he did for you on the cross and praise him for it, too. It will help you walk confidently.

Know his abilities. Jesus is all powerful and his spirit lives in you. His abilities to change you and grow you are endless. Don’t doubt he is working in you for the progress you desire when you are seeking him. Knowing his abilities will allow you to be confident that progress is taking place. Jesus is working in you and changing you to be more like him each and every day. Yield to him, be in awe of his power and his purposes.