"It takes time"
So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. (Acts 18:11 NLT)
Throughout the book of Acts we see stints of time that Paul or the apostles took to stay in a particular place for an extended time. Paul, this verse tells us, stayed in Corinth for a year & a half. Even though he traveled a lot during this time, he also took time to stay in one location at times to teach & disciple the believers.
Bill Green pointed out to me this week that when we read the book of Acts we think that it happened rapidly, over a short period of time. But the book itself spans many years. At one point, 14 years pass.
As we read, it's important that we realize these details of truth. Because if we miss this, we will forget that although 3,000 people were added to the church at Pentecost on one day, someone also had to teach & disciples these new believers. This takes time. And Pentecost was just a one time event. It's not the norm.
We may feel like in our lives & the lives of others around us that we are trying to impact that nothing is happening. We are investing, inviting, sharing Jesus, & we are seeing little fruit. The encouragement for us is be patient. It takes time. Keep it up. If Paul spent a year & a half in Antioch, we know it will take a long term commitment from us to make disciples. I'm not saying be lazy! Work hard, but be patient as the Lord works in people's lives. He is working, it just may not be on the same timetable we would like.
Think about our own lives. Was our growth, maturity, or even the process of us coming to Christ a rapid thing? Odds are it took time. Years, months for us to come to the realization of truth.
Take the time. Invest. Share the gospel. Be patient. Watch God work. Be committed for the long haul. It's worth it.
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