To grow, you need discipline and time

Anita joyfully submitted to the process of growing in righteousness which required discipline and time. This was not easy; the culture around her enticed her with ‘quick fix’ methods claiming to provide instant gratification. Earlier she had been much like we are instinctively; desiring our pain to end, our career to take off, and relationship to blossom instantly. Anita fell in line with what the Bible teaches, and what research has also proved—that growth takes time. The writer of Hebrews penned, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11). Anita was content to know that her desire for the “harvest of righteousness” will bring the good things of life. In order to flourish, Anita committed herself to discipline. She sought after streams of wisdom from various sources to flow into her life for continuous nourishment. Every day she spent time in God’s presence to experience God’s amazing love and to express her love for God’s awesome loving kindness. Anita invested in her marriage to build intimacy. She gained insights from counsellors, as per what the Bible teaches, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counsellors there is safety” (Pro. 11:14).Desiring to excel in her teaching career, she invested in herself, regularly examining her life in order to keep growing. Discipline doesn’t seem pleasant, but the pain of discipline is temporary and the fruits are long-lasting. It all takes time. Pain is the path to greatness; it hurts to grow past it or out of it or to have it removed. Such pain is good and will not return, but lessons we learn will last forever. An intimate relationship with God through Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit is all we seek. In God’s presence, our thirst is quenched and we enjoy fullness of life. However, this will not happen without discipline and time.