Daily Hope with Rick Warren

Sometimes the Change Is Gradual - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - February 22, 2024

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Sometimes the Change Is Gradual
By Rick Warren

“And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

You need more power than just willpower in your life. You need God’s power. 

The fruit of the Spirit is the qualities that God puts in your life when the Holy Spirit lives in you: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

How does God produce the fruit in your life? Not by willpower. You could go out and say, “I’m going to be a more patient person!” but that doesn’t mean it’s going to work. 

The Holy Spirit has to grow it on the inside. You try to say, “I’m going to be more patient. I’m going to be more loving.” It’s like tying some oranges on a eucalyptus tree and calling it an orange tree. It doesn’t work that way. The fruit of the Spirit can only come from the inside—God’s Spirit living through you.

How does the Holy Spirit work in your life? The answer is gradually: “And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).

When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes six hours. When God wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. The question is: Do you want your life to be a mushroom or an oak tree? 

You didn’t collect your hurts, habits, and hang-ups overnight. The things we most want to change usually developed in us over years. Someone approached me once and said, “Pastor Rick, I need you to solve my marriage problem.” I said, “How long have you been married?” Fifteen years. “How long have you had this problem?” Ten years. 

And you want a five-second answer? It isn’t going to happen! You’ve got to peel that onion one layer at a time.

The Holy Spirit works within us to make us gradually more and more like him. Our character is the sum total of our habits. Our responsibility is to develop new habits that reflect his work in us.

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Gods Great Love for You Rick WarrenYour Gift Brings Hope to the World

Teach the children in your life about God’s unchanging love.

"God’s Great Love for You" is a beautifully illustrated picture book designed to help children grasp just how deeply God loves them—no matter who they are or where they go.

Written by Pastor Rick Warren and illustrated by award-winning artist Chris Saunders, this book makes a meaningful gift for your children, your grandchildren, or any child you want to encourage in their walk with God.

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.

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