Walking at God's Pace

While reading Revelation, a thought struck me when I came across the vision of those who spend day and night praising God: Is this all there is?

I enjoy creating, I enjoy nature, and I enjoy spending time with my family… this made me think and meditate on these thoughts and made me realise I may be still a long way to the right path. I’m still tied to the world and still think selfish thoughts.

So I went to confession to talk about these feelings and that I felt I wasn’t doing enough and was failing Him. The answer that our priest gave me was a good one:

“Walk at the pace that God wills it. You are doing too much, don’t forget we are human and at times when people try to do it all in a short period of time, it may dilute the faith because you don’t see progress after a while and feel that nothing is happening and start straying away from the faith.”

This was such an important reminder and after reading what Jesus told us about repentance and discipleship, I felt a strong desire to change everything immediately. Yet Scripture and the wisdom of the Church remind us that transformation is often a lifelong journey rather than an overnight event.

Given that my priest has seen this renewal of faith in me, his warning was a good reminder of the journey ahead. He also told me to read Joshua 1:7 and meditate on it,

Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:7-9

This was exactly the kind of guidance that I needed. Not a complicated answer, but a reminder to remain faithful, meditate on God’s words and trust that He is with me along the way. While meditating on this passage, I also thought about what Paul has said in 1 Corinthians,

But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you are not ready for it;

1 Corinthians 3:1-2

I think it’s normal to want to change completely from one day to another, but as the priest said and as Paul mentions, I am still an infant and I must walk at the pace that God wills it. This thought together with the words of Joshua, it felt a good combination and something to meditate when I feel that I am failing Him.

While writing these words at night I was reading The Sheperd of Hermas and the following passage rung to me as the idea of that Path that we follow to grow into Faith

Each power is governed by the next, following their birth order. From faith comes Continence, from Continence comes Simplicity, from Simplicity comes Guilelessness, from Guilelessness comes Reverence, from Reverence comes Knowledge, and from Knowledge comes Love. Their works are pure, reverent and divine.

The Shepherd of Hermas 16:7

It all starts with Faith, without it we won’t be able to follow the rest of the path. Thinking about this order, it seems to me that Hermas is describing a pattern of spiritual growth, where each virtue helps give rise to the next. Starting from Faith, learning how to reject sin, evil deeds and desires (Continence), live a simple life and become less attached to the things of the world, be as Jesus told us like a child, innocent and without deception (Guilelessness), then we can truly revere the Lord and His words in Scripture, which in turn we gain Knowledge and with this knowledge we are able to truly act like Jesus and love each other no matter what.

But note that I’m not saying that we must only do one of these properly until we get to the next stage, the notion I am trying to do here, is that even for us to achieve full love of everyone and everything we must walk that path to get to the right place instead of just “knowing” the way and feel that we are failing because we are still unable to walk.

Perhaps the lesson in all of this is that the Christian life is not about reaching the destination in a single day. It is about remaining on the path, walking faithfully, repenting when we stumble, and trusting that God is forming us over time. As Joshua was reminded before entering the Promised Land, the Lord is with us wherever we go.

The goal is not to arrive immediately, but to keep walking.