Truth requires patience

Another aspect of seeking truth is that it usually takes time. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will reveal something to us in a moment, but usually it takes a while for us to open up to the truth. Anything that grows takes time. The process of learning takes time. Its repetition, practice, and evaluation over and over again. Basically, it takes time for us to change even when we are exposed to new aspects of truth.

I've found it also takes time to help others receive truth. It takes a lot of patience to help them let down their natural barriers and start to approach that new idea. The teacher or mentor has to make themselves available and not get frustrated or offended. We have to curb our enthusiasm and allow the person to discover truth bit by bit. 

I'm also finding that as a community of believers, we like to surround ourselves with people who believe what we believe, think like we think, and talk like we talk. We get suspicious and guarded toward outsiders, hoping to make them like us rather than help them open up to the truth the Holy Spirit has for them. 

The times I've grown the most is when I was a small fish in a big pond, and I had to hang on for dear life. In that environment, there is no time to hold on to comfort zones. I remember when I went to seminary and started talking about a certain doctrine like I always had before. That person said, "You don't still believe that do you?" I didn't reject that doctrine right away, but it was a wakeup call for me. Like a garden, our reception and understanding of truth requires work and vigilance.

Truth is worth the journey!

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