²⁰ Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations — ²¹ “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” ²² which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? ²³ These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Colossians 2:20-23 [NKJV]

Hey guys, I am sorry if I haven’t had the time in recent days to share a post about my daily bread entries. Having a full-time job now means that I will need to really prioritize how I want to spend my time everyday. Now, clearly, my commitment to doing my daily bread everyday will not change. But it is the activity of writing about my thoughts, reflections and lessons that has to change somewhat. I truly believe that this is what it will be like in the coming weeks and months. There will be days when I have to prioritize my work over writing (writing an entry and proof-reading what I wrote can sometimes consume up to 2 hours of my morning). That is precious time that can be used for getting some work done. So, in that context, my daily bread writing can take second place.

But what will never take second place in my life ever again, is my daily devotion and commitment to reading the Bible and following Jesus. To me, this takes precedence over everything else in my life. In fact, my goal is to make it such that God, Jesus, the Word are all at the center of my daily life.

Growth, Change & Progress

Alright, let’s get on with today’s daily bread reflection shall we?

Today I want to share about experiencing growth, change and progress in our lives. We have all experienced what it is like to growth, to learn from some kind of experience in our lives, to have to make a change, maybe for the better, and perhaps even progress, like in our work, school and businesses. No matter what form it takes, we have all experienced one of these three things in our lives at some point.

The most important part of these things is that sometimes we think that something can happen in a really short time, only to find ourselves disappointed because that change that we are trying to make is taking a lot longer than we had expected (or hoped). Sometimes it can be a project that we are working on, or a sales/business contract where the potential customer & client seems to be taking their sweet time to make a decision. Whatever the circumstances maybe, we have (and will continue to have) experiences like these. Making slow, tiny incremental progress either on a daily or even weekly basis.

Just consider someone whose hitting the gym because they decided that they want to take better care of their physical appearances. They’ve got their gym membership and decides to hit the gym three days a week. Speak to any professional fitness trainers and they will tell you that it’s very hard to notice any real difference or progress within that first few weeks. It usually requires a little more time before we can realy see noticeable differences in our physical appearances (or feel it, like looser clothing and jeans, etc).

My point being, progress, change, even growth can sometimes take a long time to manifest in it’s fullest form. And it is really important that we learn to be patient with ourselves when it comes to our own progress.

This leads me to my next point.

Just Because You Don’t See it, or Feel it, it Doesn’t Mean That You’re Not Making Any Progress

I think in a world where we are constantly being tempted by things that we want, and when most things in life can come almost instantaneously for us, we have become more easily drawn towards “instant gratification” instead of being willing to endure the process and be patient to work towards what we really want. We go to slimming centers for slimming packages, we have food from fast food joints, we can order stuff online and opt for 1-day deliveries and there are so many examples of how our everyday lives have made me more susceptible to relying on instant gratification to reach out goals and desires.

But when it comes to working on ourselves, or a project, or a business deal, sometimes things aren’t that instantaneous anymore. Suddenly, everything begins to really slow down. But just because it feels like you aren’t making any real progress (remember what I wrote about not being able to see or feel the changes), doesn’t actually mean that you’re not making any progress. Sometimes, the progress is happening behind the scenes where you simply can’t see it.

Making changes in our lives, working on a project or deal can be like this sometimes. Sometimes it can last for days, sometimes even weeks or months. It will feel like a daily slog where you feel like all you’re doing is circling the drain. But you must remember this, as long as you don’t lose heart, and you don’t stop making an effort everyday, you will be making small progresses even if you can’t see it yet.

Living & Being a Christian is the Same Thing

To try and tie it all back to my daily bread reflections, I believe that our Christian growth is very much the same. There will be days when it feels like we are making a lot of progress. But there will also be days, weeks, months and maybe even years when we feel like we are not making any. In fact, we might even feel like we’re taking one step forward, and two steps back. I’ve been through it myself so I definitely can speak from experience about this.

For me, learning to be a grounded, down-to-earth Christian on a daily basis hasn’t been easy. There have been days where I really wondered to myself, “Whats the point of even trying? It’s not like it’s going to make any difference…” Yes, I do have doubts on many days. Days where I mistaken that just because I never SAW the progress that I was making behind the scenes, I thought I wasn’t making any. Today, I am finally able to see my own spiritual growth in a different light. I know that as long as I don’t stop making an effort, like doing my daily bread every morning, I know I will be making some kind of progress in my own growth, even on days when I don’t really feel any real change yet.

Personal Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for speaking to me today about something so meaningful. Thank You for reminding me that when it comes to my daily growth, change and progress in life, having consistent daily efforts mean more than chasing after instant gratification.

I’ve lived a life for far too long where my choices and actions have been driven by my desire for instant gratification. Ever since I have decided to make You the center of my life, I have been learning how to delay my own gratification by working for what I desire/need.

I suppose with everything that I am still experiencing today, I do need this reminder that just because I can’t see something, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t happening yet. Thank You for reminding me to always have faith in my own growth, change and progress in life.

I give You all of my praises and You deserve all the glory. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.