The Slowness of Sanctification

Renewed in Truth Monthly | February 2024

Happy February, dear readers!

Before we start with the regular content, I would love to hear from you! I would be ever grateful if you filled out this reader survey. It should only take five minutes! Thank you so much!

Now, here’s a Table of Contents to help you peruse the content to your liking:

1. The Short Essay: The Slowness of Sanctification

2. A Bit of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness (a collection of online pieces I loved)

3. From My Reading Stack (short reviews of the books I read this month)

4. Featured Picture Book

5. In Case You Missed It (summaries and links to my latest writing)

The Short Essay: The Slowness of Sanctification

I love the feeling of walking barefoot across the newly scrubbed floors each Sunday morning—no more crumbs poking at my feet, Cheerios being crushed under my heels, or sticky spots gluing my skin to the floor.

One Sunday morning as I came out of the bathroom, I walked through the kitchen (where my children had already eaten) and stepped in gooey oatmeal. As I bent down with a cloth to scrub the floor, I discovered a spotted trail of coffee leading from the counter to the table and crumbs from boiled eggs sprinkled next to me.

Am I really scrubbing the floor again already? Later that evening, I swept the kitchen floor from the messy supper we had eaten and gawked at the pile of dirt I had collected. How does so much dirt accumulate in one day? We vacuumed and mopped Saturday night—shouldn’t I be free from cleaning these floors even for a few days? 

I often think the same way about my sanctification. Haven’t I endured adequate hardships? Haven’t I gone to war with enough sins? Haven’t I reached a decent level of holiness? Shouldn’t I be immune to the devil’s temptations now? C. S. Lewis prodded my own heart in Mere Christianity:

When a man turns to Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his bad habits are now corrected) he often feels that it would now be natural if things went fairly smoothly. When trouble comes along—illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation—he is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now? Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet the slightest notion of the tremendous thing he means to make of us.¹

I’ve shared those feelings Lewis described. Why is God still prodding at me? I’ve accomplished a lot. How much more needs to be done in my heart?

These thoughts reveal that I don’t truly understand the magnificent holiness of God and that holiness to which he has called me. God has asked me to be holy as he is holy. How holy is God? He never even contemplates sinning. Holy means 100% separate from sin. God is perfect, completely unlike us in our floundering, sin-filled nature. His anger is always righteous, his judgments always perfect, and his love always pure. Yet even our acts of goodness are often tainted by sin. God is so holy that we cannot behold him with our eyes, otherwise, we’d perish (Exod. 33:20). God didn’t have to go through sanctification to become holy—he has, is, and always will be holy because it’s his nature to be holy.

Yet, what does God say to us? “Be holy as I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15–16). Matthew Henry comments on this passage, “We must be holy, as God is holy: we must imitate him, though we can never equal him. He is perfectly, unchangeably, and eternally holy; and we should aspire after such a state. The consideration of the holiness of God should oblige as to the highest degree of holiness we can attain unto.”² When I consider the holiness of God, there’s no way I can be that holy. I am and always will be a work in progress. There’s no such thing as perfection here on earth.

This is where grace, forgiveness, and justification cause us to sigh in relief. That was the law, but we must not forget the gospel: Jesus Christ came to earth as fully man and fully God to live, breathe, and think the perfect life for us, yet took the deadly punishment our sins deserved. He died, was buried, and rose again that we may enter his glory in eternal life. By his work, we are freed from sin and brought into this process of sanctification by which God, in his grace, works in our hearts to make us more like him. As Matthew Henry wrote:

The grace of God in calling a sinner is a powerful engagement to holiness. It is a great favour to be called effectually by divine grace out of a state of sin and misery into the possession of all the blessings of the new covenant; and great favours are strong obligations; they enable as well as oblige to be holy.³

Though we feel as if we are labouring each day to be more holy, ultimately it’s God who enables us to be holy by his grace. Because he saved us and continues to work in our hearts, we in turn can obey and persevere in the faith. He gives us strength, guidance, encouragement, and reproof. This doesn’t mean we will reach perfection, but we should always keep stretching our fingertips upward towards it—not in our power, but in God’s grace alone.

How have you seen God at work sanctifying you? What would you liken sanctification to? Let’s share in the comments! ↓

A Bit of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness

Ellie Tran Illustrations – The Writerly Dragon Slayer. When I discovered Ellie’s illustrations, sparks flew in my imagination. Her art is utterly whimsical and imaginative, with such gentle and intricate details. So much story is told through the expressions and scenery. Read this if you’re interested in commissioning her for a project.

Dancing in an Empty Theater by Brianna Lambert. “But I wonder how many words of beauty have never found their way to be etched on paper. I wonder how many beautiful sonnets have been written in the mind of a mother too busy nursing a child to bother to write. I think of the countless phrases of worship whispered in the heart of the one too overwhelmed or grieved to scribe them into life. I wonder at all the beauty that has existed for none to see. But of course, there’s always someone. He stands in the theater of all creation. He hears the song that rings out in the solitary. He sees the dance performed alone. He hears the words that never reach our lips. And he delights in the offering.”

So, What Are We Supposed to do With All These Teeth? by Krista Drechsel. “I do understand his point. A collection of baby teeth gives serious hoarder vibes. Still, I want to make it make sense. I want to explain to my husband how, with every passing day that I am a mother, I feel the joy and the pain of letting go in a thousand, tiny increments. I want to tell him how, as a mother, I live daily in the space between joy and grief. I want to tell him how, with every passing landmark of their childhood, I feel a little more disoriented. I keep pulling out the map, trying to locate where we are. 

Why Give Thanks When Life is Hard? by

Ashley Anthony

. “We never need to wonder if God has ulterior motives because he gave us his best. When everything goes wrong and we’re living in the shadows—when hardship obscures the good gifts God has given and we feel so, so alone—this truth comforts and assures us that God loves us. For those of us who are hurting, please hear me: I’m not saying we need to look on the bright side of our deep sorrows or act like we’re not in pain. But we acknowledge the hard realities of life while cradled in the arms of our Lord, who gives us his best (Ps. 91:1–2). Our greatest assurance that God loves the unlovely comes from his provision of Jesus, his beloved Son.”

Book Review of A Mother Held. Naptime Readers shared a beautiful review of my book that honestly brought tears to my eyes. I am so grateful for their time and words. “By her words, a voice is given to the overwhelming weight of the constant battle that is the thought life of those who struggle with anxiety. By doing this, she also lends empathy for those mothers who don’t have this experience to be able to come alongside their friends with understanding and love. By sharing her personal experiences and the way God is gently guiding and refining her, Lara reminds us that we truly are Mothers Held By God. Though, these stories aren’t really about her. They are about God and who He is.”

From My Reading Stack

Is it Abuse? by Darby Strickland. This is the best and most comprehensive book I’ve read on the topic of abuse from a Christian and counselling perspective. Though Darby Strickland is within the biblical counseling movement, you will not find any tolerance for abuse in marriage within this book. Darby is an advocate for women facing abuse, and she will not back down to the wrong teachings around abuse within the church or allow churches to fall prey to false repentance and tears of abusers. She extensively works through the various forms of abuse, how they affect the victims, and how churches should respond. I believe every church or ministry leader should read this book.

A Thread of Dreams by

Emily Barnett

. For my fantasy-loving readers… you want to read this beautiful book by Emily. This book holds the perfect combination of a unique setting and magic system, along with characters you connect with and grow to adore, and completely clean content fit for middle-grade or teen readers. This book has a dual point of view, with one of the viewpoints written in verse which adds a lyrical variety to the already captivating prose.

Featured Picture Book

Training Young Hearts Book Series – What Are Eyes For? & What Are Ears For? By Abbey Wedgeworth and Emma Randall

Every time we sit down to read, you can guarantee that one, if not both, of the twins will ask for “the flap books.” They adore these simple books with flaps that are easy for them to lift, and they enjoy the simple ways I incorporate them into the storytelling by asking questions or prompting them to do the actions in the books. As a mom, I find this books offer me simple ways to talk with my children about respect, kindness, and love with my children; the books give me easy examples and phrases to remind them of. Best of all, they always come back to the gospel in a way my children can grasp.

In Case You Missed It

PODCAST INTERVIEWS:

• Head and Heart Podcast with Jennifer Holmes

• Gracenotes Podcast with

  Grace Thomas

• Grow in Grace Podcast with Shanna Dinsmore and Kristen Fessler

ARTICLES:

• Can God Reorder Even This? With a kiss on my clammy forehead and reassuring words, he squeezed my hand and left, where I wept as nurses hustled around me. My mind raced. Where is God in this crowded hospital room? Can his hand reach inside this tiny aircraft with nurses, pilots, oxygen tanks—and only one incubator?

• The Fanning, Feeding, and Tending of Hope. Hope, I’ve come to see, isn’t much different. To have the kind of hope that remakes us—the kind that prods us awake from our sleep, calls us out of stupors, and leads to newness—requires love.

• A Mother Transplanted to the World of Speech Delays. Sometimes the things we think we can’t handle show us how strong we are.

• Weathering the Weary Days of Winter. Let this cold weather be an Ebenezer for you of what Christ raised you from and rehearse those promises of salvation to yourself, even as you grieve or weep or pull the curtains shut again.

• Four Ways for Moms to Serve in the Little Years. Moms with littles often feel like they can’t serve, but there are many small ways we can—they just might not be exactly what is typically recognized as ministry.

Epilogue

The floors will be dirty again, and honestly it will happen pretty quickly. My toddler will throw his sweet potato on the floor, my husband will track in sawdust from work, and I will spill dry oatmeal on the floor while I’m baking. This is life. The floors will always have to be cleaned. Likewise our lives will continue to need prodding and scraping (discipline, trials, reproof, and further study) to make them more reflective of our holy God we worship. Don’t lose heart—press on dear friend. He’s the workman, you’re the recipient of grace.

PS: Please don’t forget the reader survey!

1. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2001), 205.

2. Matthew Henry, Zondervan NIV Matthew Henry Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Harper Collins, 1992), 756-757.

3. Ibid.