Learn to Trust God’s Slow Work
The beautiful wreath that guards the entrance of the Coeur d’Alene Resort in my hometown reminds me the year is almost concluded and that I can trust God’s slow work. Read more …
At midnight on January 1st, this wreath will go dark until the day after Thanksgiving 2025.
Recently, I heard a quote I cannot shake from my thoughts.
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God ….”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ
In the culture in which God has placed you and me, the phrase “slow work” is not often applauded. Instead, contemporary vocabulary commends action words like “instant,” “streamlined,” “efficient,” and “simplified.” We are encouraged to set SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-specific. None of this is bad but accepting that God’s best soul-work is often beyond S-L-O-W can be a bitter pill to swallow.
During the season of Advent, I was reminded many times the slow work of God is highlighted throughout. For instance, over 700 years passed before the promised Messiah appeared. Then, Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t get pregnant with John, the prophet who would prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry, until they were beyond childbearing years. Simeon, the temple priest, had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah, but he then waited until he was a very old man to do so.
I am learning that trusting “in the slow work of God,” is one of the ways my faith grows, and healthy spiritual formation occurs.
So, as the dawn of a new year looms on the horizon, I reflect on God’s slow work in my own spiritual journey, and I’m asking questions like this:
Without becoming discouraged, how do I keep praying prayers I know God COULD answer but continue to go un-answered?
How do I set goals or take faith-steps and yet, hold loosely to their outcome, TRUSTING God’s ways are much better and more complex than mine?
How do I live in the PRESENT without feeling disillusioned about the past or preoccupied concerning future hopes and plans?
Happy New Year, and blessings as you travel through 2025!
P.S. Another reminder of the passage of time, today is our younger daughter’s birthday. Sarah’s life is an admirable example of the lovely, albeit slow work of God. Here we are gathered around the Christmas tree a few days ago.
P.P.S. Perhaps I should instead call this a P.R. (Praise Report): Many have expressed how meaningful Stephen Robinson’s guest posts have been to you during the past nine months when my friend has learned to TRUST God’s slow work. I am delighted to report that Stephen begins a promising new job the first of the year. I know you will join me in congratulating him and thanking him for his willingness to be vulnerable about the lessons he has learned about God’s trustworthy character during this difficult time.
