"I took 9 years to come to Christ." - Claudia

God is patient, or rather long-suffering. He yearns for each person to turn back to Him and be with Him, but He doesn't rush the process.

I was re-looking the book "Faith of a Woman" and this first line in Chapter 4's Story of Claudia held my attention. Why this was important was because she was upfront about the duration it took to draw her close enough to Christ so that she finally trusted Him sufficiently to accept Him.

Why this was particularly important to me was because I woke in the morning complaining in my head to God about the ladies I was reading the Bible with. This week I chatted online for over an hour with one young lady to share our past month and to read the Bible and apply this to our life. Earlier I had another 2.5 hour session with another to provide basic business and digital marketing advice after reading a chapter for devotion too.

For both, their understanding of the Word was shallow and the application ill thought-out. Further encouraging them to dig into the Word, it was obvious they hadn't read the Bible since last we met. There was no hunger for the Word even though I gave little homework on reading 1 chapter a day for quiet time. It sounded like they were lukewarm and there was simply no heart for God in either of them. They poured out their hearts and plans for their work and desires but there was no seeking God in any part of their lives.

Basically, God is just the Saviour, and the salvation they received was a free pass to heaven. They didn't want the commitment of relationship with the Father and Creator of the cosmos. Seemed too much work.

Perhaps it was safe to say they were simply newborn believers and needed lots of hand-holding (though they were exposed to the gospel for years now). Hence my heavy heart regarding the whole discipleship and follow-up with unfaithful girls. I was wondering how long it would take them to mature to a deeper extent in Christ.

Claudia's statement "I took 9 years" was God reminding me that I took almost 8 or 9 years myself before living life anew, with a tight relationship with God. He patiently waited for me until I desired the new life He had to offer. This was a phase in life that time needed to be a factor of ... God's time that is.

There was no way I could rush the process of spiritual growth for these ladies, just as God didn't rush mine. Salvation was God's plan, lordship was God's nurturing and His time. He has His time and ways to keep drawing them closer to Himself. May He develop a deeper desire for love and truth in them as I patiently do my part.