Day 28 of the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

1. The development of Christlike character cannot be rushed.

2. The moment you open yourself to Christ, God gets a "beachhead" in your life.

3. God has promised that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

4. Discipleship is the process of conforming to Christ.

5. Christlikeness is your evetual destination, but your journey will last a lifetime.

6. Every day God wants you to become a little more like him.

7. Today we're obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability than swiftness.

8. We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution.

9. But real maturity is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving.

10. Growth is gradual.

11. The Bible says, "Our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

12. Jesus is deliberate in developing his disciples. Just as God allowed the Israelites to take over the Promised Land "little by little" so they wouldn't be overwhelmed.

13. Why does it take so long to change and grow up? There are several reasons.

a. We are slow learners. We often have to relearn a lesson 40 to 50 times to really get it.

b. We have a lot to unlearn. Since most of our problems - and all of our bad habits - didn't develop overnight, it's unrealistic to expect them to go away immediately.

c. We are afraid to humbly face the truth about ourselves. You cannot grow without a humble, teachable attitude.

d. Growth is often painful and scary. There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain.

this fear can definitely slow down your growth.

e. Habits take time to develop. There is only 1 way to develop the habits of Christlike character: You must practice them - and that takes time.

14. Believe God is working in your life even when you don't feel it.

15. The Bible says, "Everything on earth has its own time and its own season."

16. Be patient with God and with yourself.

17. One of life's frustrations is that God's timetable is rarely the same as ours.

18. We are often in a hurry when God isn't.

19. God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.

20. God will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.

21. James advises, "Don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed."

22. Don't get discouraged.

23. A delay is not a denial from God.

24. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering!