“Transformation is a process, not an event. It is a process that requires time, intention, and openness to the Spirit’s work in us.”
-Ruth Haley Barton
We live in a world that moves at breakneck speed—where everything is instant, efficient, and designed to deliver results now. But spiritual formation doesn’t play by those rules. It’s the long, slow work of grace, the transformation of our hearts that happens over weeks, months, and even years. It can feel agonizingly slow at times, but it’s in this divine unhurriedness that God does His deepest work in us.
In my last post, I mentioned that Spiritual Formation is summarized with four key concepts:
- A gradual and slow process
- Spirit-Driven
- To become like Christ in mind, body, and soul (Entire Person)
- For the sake of others
The most difficult piece of spiritual formation for us (or maybe just me) is this first point. Spiritual Formation is a gradual and very slow process. We want growth to come faster. We want to progress to the next phase of our formation in Jesus. We aim to advance in our spiritual walk. We are often not content with where we are in our growth. And that is because it is so slow.
From my understanding and the understanding of many other people much more intelligent than me, this is for two (and probably more) reasons our change is slow.
The first reason is that God does not move at our pace. One quote I seem to come back to time and time again is by Kosuke Koyma. He describes God as a “Three Mile an Hour God.” For those of you who are curious, three miles an hour is the speed of a slow walk. He later goes on to describe this as the “speed of Love.” Now, how many of us are frustrated by slow walking people. I know I am, especially when its not me. I don’t know if I ever walk at three miles an hour unless its up a steep hill. But for God, this is normal. I’m reminded of Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3:8-9,
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
This passage is speaking specifically about God’s coming judgment, but I think it has much to say about His work in our growth as well. He is not slow to keep His promises. But He also does not experience time in the same way we do. While we see a few moments or a few hours ahead of us, He sees the whole timeline of our lives. He knows what we need to grow us in Christ’s image. We do not. And so, we seek to trust Him in the slow process as He works to change us.
The second reason has to do with the scope of the change that is happening to us in spiritual formation. We are not merely changing something as simple as our habits. Instead, we are altering the very core of ourselves.
Dallas Willard puts the change that happens within us this way;
“Spiritual formation in Christ is a process that takes time because it is a process of changing the most basic structures of the human self. These cannot be changed by mere acts of willpower.”
I imagine if our formation was on our timetable, we would have it happen in an instant. We would forgo the struggle. We would choose a life of ease instead of suffering. We would habit stack, or practice atomic habits, or whatever cool trendy thing is for discipline. The problem is, these ultimately don’t change the heart. We need God to do that! And we are changing at His speed, which is what is best for us. Change then become as Eugene Peterson says, “A long obedience in the same direction.” It is the day in and day our practice of obedience in our lives as God works to change us. It is a lifetime process as Gordon MacDonald notes when he writes,
“There is no instant maturity. It is the slow, steady growth of a lifetime walking with Christ.
And so, yes, spiritual formation is a lifelong, slow process. It requires time and diligence. But the beautiful truth about our formation is that it is at the speed in which our loving Father also moves. And so we can trust the process. We can trust God is working and moving, even when we don’t see see it.
Grace and Peace!
Eric Ortscheid 