More than Dabble

Change requires a full immersion of who you are and the patience to keep doing it. 

Dabble means to take part casually or partially. It’s fun to dabble and try new things to see what you like.  The problem is that often times I dabble expecting lasting change.  Change isn’t likely to come when we dabble, but rather when we immerse ourselves and give ourselves fully to a direction.  I recently listened to a health practitioner talk about this idea with his patients.  He stated the biggest obstacle to change was this idea of dabbling as opposed to training.  I see this so often when I’m teaching but unfortunately I see it most often in myself.  I complain that something didn’t work realizing that I only tried it a few times.  We want the quick fix but the real change takes time.  What if we gave ourselves fully to the change we want to see?  What if we took that dabbling a step further?  What if instead of partial we gave all of ourselves?  Let’s do more than dabble, let’s immerse ourselves.  

“…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…”

Colossians 1:11

I love this part of Paul’s prayer to the Colossians.  He prays they would have great endurance and patience, but first he prays for the Lord’s might.  It’s the only way we can endure the things of this life.  We want things to happen now.  We want the fast road to change.  Unfortunately most of the lasting change we’re after doesn’t happen like that.  It happens slow.  This requires great patience and endurance on our part, which does not come naturally for us.  So then we too must ask that we would be "strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that we might have great endurance and patience."  For the change is worth the wait, it just takes time.  What I find as I wait is that I get more of Him, which is the greater change as I wait for change.