The most widespread pastoral issue I face in church is that of assurance. Uncertainty about whether God will accept me. Uncertainty often provoked by examining my thought world or realizing how slow I am to change.

On these occasions we must work to turn the search for hope and assurance away from our performance (as that will never provide sufficient hope) to the merciful heart and action of our saviour, Jesus.

Lack of Performance

But there still remains the problem of our failure to be what we are called to be, and to act in ways that are appropriate to that calling.

The wonderful thing about God’s command is that He is ever so realistic. He calls us to change, and calls us to change now, and we must take that with the upmost seriousness. But in God’s great goodness the call to immediate change is coupled with the giving time to us to change. So John can says “I write this that you do not sin, but if anyone sins we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense”.

To merely bemoan that we are not what we should be often causes us to lose sight of the great work God has done, in turning our hearts to desire to serve him, to be penitent for our sins, and being willing to re-enter the fray even though it is painful.

A Matter of Time

So sometimes God, in His goodness, gives immediate release from sins. At other times he graciously gives time to change. I notice that the widely read work of Malcolm Gladwell gives data in which he says to become expert in things takes 10 000 hours of practice. So I want to say, keep practicing being godly.

This week at Moore College we have had the 2012 Annual Moore College Lectures delivered by Chris Green on applying the Bible (this excellent series can be downloaded free of charge from the Moore College website). Chris outlines how to apply the Bible and my guess is that preachers will feel revived in having a model of what to do, and at the same time feel guilty for under performance. Remember the 10 000 hour rule!

I wonder whether the 10 000 rule could be just another way of speaking of habits. Good habits are good. Bad habits are bad. And over time good habits will reap great gospel reward.

The good news is that failure is not final. Set your heart and energy to do well, ask God for his strengthening of you in it, and if the Lord should delay in returning He will give the time to change.