by Julie Zine Coleman @JulieZColeman

The year my husband spent in the South Pacific, he worked for a while as a teacher in a Bible school in the Fiji Islands. There was a missionary there who was well-revered for his wisdom and excellent teaching. After one particularly inspiring class, the students questioned the godly man. How long did it take him to prepare for an hour message like he had just given?

The old missionary smiled at the eager students. “Oh, about 45 years and a half-hour,” he told them.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a Christian writer. Yet too often, we find ourselves impatient with our slow progress. Why haven’t we been published yet? When will we ever master all there is to learn in the publishing business? When will God finally use us to spread His Kingdom message to a large audience?

A quick look at scriptural examples does not encourage the impatient writer. Moses spent the first forty years of his life in the Pharaoh’s palace. There he received the best education the empire had to offer. Then, after murdering an Egyptian guard, Moses fled into the desert. There he remained for forty more years. It wasn’t until Moses was the ripe old age of 80 that God called him to lead his people out of Egypt. Even then, Moses felt totally unprepared for the assignment. “Send someone else,” he pleaded with God. “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Even Jesus did not venture into public ministry until the age of 30. Jesus also had a preparation time in the desert. For forty days, He fasted and endured temptation flung at Him by Satan himself. Why the long wait to reveal Himself to the people? Hebrews tells us: “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” (Hebrews 5:8, 9)

Clearly, preparation to fulfill God’s goal for us takes time. We have much to learn before we will be able to produce what He has ultimately called us to write. But our lessons may often be seemingly unrelated at first.

Remember The Karate Kid? The young hero of the story, Daniel, goes to Mr. Miyagi to learn self-defense against the bullies that are plaguing him at his new school.  Mr. Miyagi agrees to teach him Karate.  The lessons begin with an unexpected kind of task: Daniel must hand-wax a veritable fleet of old cars in Miyagi’s yard, moving two rags in opposite circular movements.  Wax on, wax off.  First the right hand, then the left.

When the tedious job is finally finished after several days, Daniel assumes it is now time to learn Karate.  To his amazement, instead Mr. Miyagi gives him a paint brush and a bucket of whitewash to paint a long fence.  He is told to stroke up and down, up and down.  Of course, when Daniel does finally begin Karate, he is surprised to find that the muscles and motions he developed while working at the seemingly meaningless chores have prepared him to execute highly skillful Karate moves.

“I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me,” the psalmist wrote (Psalm 57:2). God is at work in us to bring us to perfection in Jesus Christ. This is a process that is at times painstakingly slow and very often difficult to detect. Yet while we may not always be conscious of its existence, be assured, it is happening even as we fret.

“I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Julie Zine Coleman is an award-winning author, speaker, and member of the Pastoral Team at New Hope Chapel. She is the managing editor for the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association’s devotional website, Arise Daily. Julie holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and has authored four books including Unexpected Love: God’s Heart Revealed through Jesus’ Conversations with Women and On Purpose: Understanding God’s Freedom for Women through Scripture, which was named The Golden Scrolls Book of the Year as well as The Selah Awards’ Director’s Choice. Julie and her husband have four grown children, six grandchildren, and one crazy Golden Retriever puppy.