I have come to a startling conclusion: wanting to get closer to Jesus is not enough. The desire itself is noble and one that is hopefully shared by all believers, but it doesn’t actually produce a closer walk with Jesus. Growth does not happen by accident, osmosis or magic; it is hard work.
I
don’t know how many years I spent wanting to grow in my faith without really
praying or reading the Bible regularly. Now that I think back, it sounds
ridiculous. But there I was not reading my Bible, not really praying, filling
my time and my mind with “other” things and yet thinking that somehow by magic
each year would bring me closer to Jesus. I think that I thought that I could
“drift my way to holiness” like one preacher put it. I didn’t.
For four years now I have attended a weekly in-depth Bible study. It has involved
daily homework and weekly lectures and discussions. I have learned a lot and I
have prayed more than ever before. I feel like there has been real growth in my
life. But it hasn’t been easy. Praying and studying the Bible require effort.
In the past, I admit that I have sometimes thought that “prayer warrior types”
are specially gifted from God to pray. And in some ways, they probably are, but
they still need to put aside time to actually pray; that requires sacrifice.
Yes,
we need grace and it’s all grace, even the growth that may occur in my life.
However, even though “grace is opposed to earning, it is not opposed to effort”
(Dallas Willard). I can’t earn my way to heaven, but I do need to put in the
time and the effort to grow.
