Time Lapse
I’m sure you’ve seen those time-lapse videos, of flowers opening their petals in a span of a few seconds—as if they’re yawning awake from slumber. Similarly, being able to watch the graceful arc of the sun across a fiery sky and subsequent dip into the ocean, in five seconds!—is a gift of time-lapse videography. While slow-motion videos tend to make everything look glamorous and romantic (lovers running toward each other on a sandy beach, football player hurdling defenders, bird in flight, bullet shot through apple, anyone walking, etc.), time-lapse videos impart the sense of progress, transformation, and vitality.
I wonder how my life will look—as lived thus far—in a time-lapse video. Would it be reminiscent of a time-lapse of a skyscraper construction, where out of a hole in the ground glorious spires of engineering marvel emerge and grow heavenward? Will my life have a sense of progress, transformation, and vitality?
The appeal of time-lapse video, I think, is the absence of the effort. The “lapse of time” hides the tremendous energy, force, and work expended in opening flower petals and erecting skyscrapers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could switch on a time-lapse mode and watch as a difficult and time-consuming project, task, or event rushes by in seconds!
Often, this is what we desire of our lives: progress, transformation, and vitality achieved in seconds. Some cling to the hope that God will do this near-instantaneous growth and progress. They hear of “miraculous transformations” and expect an effortless progress for their own lives. When it doesn’t happen, they question everything from their sincerity in asking (surety of God’s promises), to the very existence of God.
Biblical reality says that transformation is a result of Holy Spirit-empowered perseverance. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “run with perseverance,” which is another way of saying “keep running” toward the goal. Instantaneous sanctifications are possible with God, but I believe they are not the norm in spiritual growth. It is more likely that the miraculous behavioral change was preceded by the invisible workings of the Spirit of God in that individual’s life, perhaps for months or years previously. The method by which God chooses to work is through personal endurance; striving, struggle, persevering, and time (Don’t believe me? Look it up: Rom 5:3,4; James 1:3,4,12; 1Pet 1:6,7; 2Pet 1:6; and many more).
This is hardly an encouraging revelation, I know; nor is it meant to be motivational. The need for perseverance is true of every discipline in life. To successfully run a marathon, conditioning, effort, time, and mental focus are required. Much attention is on the preparation before the race, rather than at the finish line. The running itself is rather boring to watch. If you were watching a video of a marathon, I suspect that after the ceremonious start, you’ll just fast forward through the miles of running and get to the end where either people celebrate or console the gasping walkers.
Perseverance is required for running both a marathon and the spiritual “race marked out for us.” What distinguishes the experience of the disciple of Christ, however, is that work of Christ paid the entry fee to the race, God supplies the progress, running the race is what transforms you, and a celebration is guaranteed. The time-lapse of your life will be a graceful arc of the Son of God, across a landscape of blessings.
So, keep running.
D. David Kim is the pastor of Good Hope Adventist Church, the second generation ministry of the Washington-Spencerville Korean church.