When God wants to remove the defects in my life, he doesn't just snap his fingers so that it happens instantly. He does it gradually. When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes six hours, but when he wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years.

Do you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree?

The Holy Spirit will make changes in my life far beyond anything we thought possible, but they’re not going to happen overnight. 

I want to be stronger emotionally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically but I've got to be intentional about it. The Bible says, “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

We throw off the old things and the old ways that keep us from getting to know Christ and becoming like him, and we put on our new selves with the help of the Holy Spirit. We let God do his work in us — no matter how long it takes. 

God is never in a hurry. 

Be patient with God and with ourself. One of life’s frustrations is that God’s timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn’t. We may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress we’re making in life.

Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time. He will use our entire lifetime to prepare us for our role in eternity.

Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process. James advised, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so we become mature and well-developed” 
(James 1:4 MSG).

Don’t get discouraged. When Habakkuk became depressed because he didn’t think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB)

Remember how far we’ve come, not just how far we have to go. We are not where we want to be, but neither are we where we used to be. 
PBPGINFWMY. It stood for “Please Be Patient God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” God isn’t finished with us, either, so keep on moving forward. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering!

“As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18b).