My Husband has recently started making sourdough bread from scratch, and boy is it a process. He originally had to grow the starters (a mix of flour and water kept in a jar) and then ‘feed’ them each day for over a week. During this time, our three stinky ‘pets’ grew and sometimes overflowed their fermented selves onto my tumble dryer. Yuck.
With the starters now mature, the dough-making can begin. Each time it is basically a sticky wrestling match between my overheating husband and an obstinate blob. When the fighting finally subsides, the blob is shaped and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning it is scored (cut along the top) and finally cooked.
Why am I telling you this? Because when that sourdough comes out the oven - and you taste that heavenly flavour - you are ruined for normal bread and you finally accept that persevering through the pungent process was more than worth it.
And yet, despite the goodness of sourdough, people still choose to buy mass-produced bread instead.
Why? Convenience of course. People like to choose the path of least resistance. We rarely choose to go the long route if there’s a shortcut available. It’s the reason we take the elevator over the stairs, and we fly overseas instead of getting there by ship.
And while there’s nothing wrong with efficiency and improved processes – some good things can be lost when we choose convenience over perseverance.
The reality is that there are some things in life that we need to walk through – the long way. They can’t be cut-short or compromised - or we don't grow.
Maybe you're on a journey of forgiving someone who's hurt you, or the slow road to reconciliation with a loved one. Maybe you've chosen to become a healthier person - not with a quick-fix diet - but with a slow and intentional change of lifestyle through a renewed mindset. Or perhaps you're in a season of pruning that's taking longer than you had hoped it would. Whichever process you're currently in, don't give up. The Word says:
The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecclesiastes 7:8
The dictionary describes perseverance as continuing in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success. The very nature of persevering doesn't sound very appealing - and yet it is vital that we become a persevering people. The Bible is full of scripture calling us to endure, and stand, and remain firm. I encourage you to seek those verses out!
We know that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen - and so even when there is 'little or no indication of success' we can be certain - if we've partnered with the Lord in the process we're engaged in - that we will have the strength to endure, and that in the end, we will emerge victorious.