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“Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me.” – Oswald Chambers.
Most of us come to faith with a quiet (or not-so-quiet) assumption: now that I believe, change will happen quickly. Old habits will loosen their grip. Patience will come naturally. Temptation will lose its appeal. We imagine sanctification as a brisk walk—steady, purposeful, and completed within a few weeks.
Then real life shows up.
Sanctification, the lifelong process of being made more like Christ, almost always takes longer than expected. Not because God is slow, inattentive, or reluctant—but because He is thorough. Scripture reminds us that God is more interested in deep, lasting transformation than in quick fixes. Philippians 1:6 assures us that “…God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” It says nothing about speed or a timetable.
We tend to underestimate how much change is typically needed. Patterns of thinking, reacting, and coping were formed over years—sometimes generations. God could erase them in an instant, but more often He chooses to retrain us over time. In that retraining, we learn dependence. We learn humility. We learn to return to Him again and again, not as graduates, but as ongoing students.
The Bible is full of saints-in-progress. Abraham believed God, yet struggled with fear and control for decades. David was called a man after God’s own heart and still fell spectacularly. Peter followed Jesus closely and still denied Him when it mattered most. None of these stories is rushed to a tidy conclusion. God allows us to see the mess, the waiting, and the repetition, because that is how real transformation unfolds.
We often confuse sanctification with self-improvement. When progress stalls, frustration follows. “Why am I still like this?” we ask. But sanctification is not about becoming impressive; it is about becoming dependent. The Holy Spirit is not in a hurry to make us look polished—He is committed to making us whole.
Importantly, slow change does not mean no change. Growth is often invisible day to day, but undeniable over time. Like roots spreading beneath the soil, sanctification works quietly. What feels like stagnation may actually be strengthening. God is doing more beneath the surface than we can measure from above.
If sanctification is taking longer than you expected, you are not failing. You are being formed. God is not disappointed by your pace. He is present in the process. He walks with you through repetition, frustration, and renewal, shaping you with a patience far greater than your own.
You are not behind. You are becoming. And the One who is sanctifying you has already accounted for the time it will take—and He is not done yet.
Discussion Questions:
- Where have you felt discouraged by slow spiritual growth, and how might viewing sanctification as a lifelong process change the way you respond to those struggles?
- How can recognizing God’s patience in our ongoing sanctification shape how we extend grace, patience, and compassion to others who are still growing?