TIME

I know a lot of people think the bulk of life transformation occurs at salvation. I'm not convinced. It seems obvious that perfection is not achieved just because someone makes a commitment to Christ. But many believe the remaining pockets of resistance are solved and corrected merely thru the passage of time.

In other words, being a believer will somehow automatically transform you if you just stay the course and do nothing more. That means a five-year old believer will have five years worth of maturity, etc. If we can just fill the seats, then with time people will become disciples. Let's just get them attending a service and voila! Disciple!

'Life change is not a question of time; it is about intentionality.'

Take a budding piano player. He loves playing. He's naturally gifted at it, but he isn't practicing much. He starts out enthusiastic but ultimately slips back to practicing once a week - then once a month - gradually not much at all. After years of that he shakes himself out of his funk about practicing and gets back on a daily schedule and immediately he begins to see dramatic improvement. If someone asks him how long he's played, his answer would not be a fair indicator of his skill level because for many of those years there was no consistent personal discipline or training going on. Someone else over here who has only been playing for a year or two but who has been diligent about it could easily outplay him.

There it is. You can be exposed to information, but that doesn't cause you to absorb it or use it for any self-improvement purposes.

Among Christians, 80% don't have a clue what the Great Commission is (See Matthew 28:18-20.) Less than 50% know John 3:16 is a verse that addresses salvation. You don't even want to know what the percentages are for issues related to actual lifestyles.

I'm thankful for our church, KFA (www.kenoshafirst.com). It is filled with people passionate about life with Christ. But in many places there are individuals who have sat in chairs and pews for decades whose lives reflect little of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The cause is simple: Life change is not a question of time; it is about intentionality.

Let's get intentional about the Kingdom.

And be blessed.