Discipleship is…Slow Formation

Consider an oak.

The weathered tree stands watch, limbs stretched wide to provide shelter for those beneath. Tall and steady, the trunk rises in quiet dignity. Hidden below the surface, its roots run deep into the earth.

A healthy tree is a picture of endurance, honor, and strength. Through time, seasons, and storms, the oak stands.

But have you ever watched an oak tree grow?

Perhaps, like me, you are unfamiliar with the developmental habits of hardwoods. From acorn to adulthood, we can observe the changes from year to year. We can measure the depth of the roots, the thickness of the trunk, or the height of the branches and track the change.

Yet one thing is certain: while I have witnessed the effects of growth over long periods of time, I have never actually seen a tree grow.

Perhaps this is because its development is slow.

We find the same in Christian discipleship.

We witness the fruit of spiritual growth in those who have walked faithfully with Christ for decades. We stand in the shade of towering saints whose roots run deep. And yet we often fail to realize how much time is required for that kind of maturity to form.

Discipleship is slow formation.

We may remember the moment the seed of new life was sown into us — when the first sprouts shattered the shell of our former selves and the transforming work of the Spirit began taking root.

From there: slow growth.

Maturity is not measured in days, weeks, months, or even years. Spiritual formation unfolds across decades.

Jesus warned of seeds sown on rocky ground, plants that sprang up quickly but lacked the depth of root necessary to endure harsh conditions. Lasting growth takes time.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul instructed that young disciples should be established before being entrusted with ministry. New birth is a beginning, not an end.

The Christian Scriptures are filled with language that assumes endurance across a lifetime: steadfastness, faithfulness, hope. It seems that one of the surest tests of Christian character is simply time.

Disciples can become discouraged when comparing themselves to those farther along in the journey. I’ve heard it said that we often overestimate what can be accomplished in a year, yet underestimate what God can do in a decade. In time, small acts of obedience compound into meaningful change.

But like the oak, it can be hard to perceive growth as it is occurring. We can only look back and see how far we’ve come.

Healthy spiritual formation is not measured in days, but in decades. It requires, as Eugene Peterson points out, “a long obedience in the same direction.”

So do not despise slow growth. Roots deepen long before fruit appears. And if we look back through the storms and seasons, I believe we will see signs of sanctification.

Through seasons, enduring.

Through storms, steadfast.

Through decades, faithful.

Christian discipleship is a process of slow formation. Not self-motivated change, but Spirit-empowered transformation.

And He who began the work in us will complete it.