The Process

 I have some people in my life who have met Jesus in very instantaneous and radical ways.  Sometimes it makes me question my own faith.  Paul met Jesus like this on the road to Damascus. But then I read about the disciples.  Peter, James, John, and the others first heard John the Baptist preach (John 1:35-42), then they heard about Jesus, next they heard Jesus teach, and finally they began to follow Him.  It was after they followed Him that they truly began to believe and not until after they had witnessed His death, burial, and resurrection that they were fully surrendered, even though they were as surrendered as they could be from the moment they left everything to follow Him.  Layers.  They came to Jesus by Him pealing off one layer at a time.  Saved by their faith by God’s grace, but changed little by little.  Notice that there is only one Paul, but there are 11 changed by this process.  There may be a moment when we decide to surrender, but don’t think that you have to have a huge, total transformation all at once.  Sometimes He works that way, but it seems that more often He works one layer at a time, steadily changing us to be more like Him.  So, remember that God knows you and what works best for you and don’t feel the need to compare your story to anyone else’s story.