A memory that pops into my mind at this time of the year is the beautiful strawberry jam that my mother made yearly when I was a child. It was a freezer jam that looked so lovely on the shelves of our large upright freezer. We loved spreading it on a hot biscuit, and she made sure that our supply was never depleted.

Thinking about the beautiful end result of that jam, I began to ponder the process. Our whole family was involved in this project. I didn’t really appreciate the family outing to pick the strawberries as it was quite back breaking. Washing the jars was a bit of a chore, and I really didn’t enjoy capping the strawberries, but oh, how I loved to eat them! Most things require some work to evolve to a level of beauty. Often, we do not want to endure the process, but we sure want the end result. Too often we seem to be fans of instant gratification.

It is no different in our daily walk with God. When you observe a seasoned saint, you may desire to quickly achieve that level as a Christian. You have admired their strength and stability, but have you considered what rugged paths, trials and tests that brought them to their current status? It wasn’t a ‘one and done’ effort. A long process was endured to make a product of beauty.

I now find myself the maker of the strawberry jam, and my family seems to enjoy the finished product. Although I don’t personally pick the strawberries anymore, there is still a bit of work involved, and I don’t have any helping hands for the process. Putting forth the effort, however, is so worth it when I observe others enjoying my labor of love.

May I encourage you in a spiritual sense to ‘put forth the effort’ to become a better person, a stronger Christian? Daily Bible reading, daily prayer life, and devotional readings will greatly enhance your spiritual growth and propel you into becoming whom God made you to be. Although the journey may be long and arduous, it is so worthwhile!

Put forth the effort!