The Reformed Life

I hate taking my dog for a walk. Put the stones down. Let me explain. He’s young, full of energy, and completely unaware of my desire for a smooth, uninterrupted stroll. Instead of walking in a straight line, he stops to sniff every mailbox, bolts after every squirrel, and wanders dangerously close to the road when a car passes.

It’s frustrating.

I just want to walk. I don’t want to stop every five seconds or constantly yank him back onto the sidewalk. I don’t want to have to be on high alert, making sure he’s not veering off into danger or tangled in his leash. I just want to move forward.

But as much as I wish he would just keep up, I have to remind myself—he’s a puppy. He’s still learning. He doesn’t see the world as I do. What feels like an obstacle to me—his stopping, sniffing, and lagging behind—is his way of learning. His curiosity is natural, his distractions are expected, and his lack of awareness isn’t rebellion; it’s simply immaturity.

The other night, I was reminded of this truth in a different way. My kids were scared of the dark, convinced that the shadows in the room were something more sinister or that a monster was lurking around the corner.

To me, the fear seemed silly.

I know there’s nothing to be afraid of. I know the shadows aren’t monsters. I know the sounds they hear are just the normal creaks of the house settling. But to them, the fear was real. Their imaginations filled in the blanks with the worst possible explanations.

You could have dismissed their fears—rolled your eyes, told them they were being ridiculous, and walked away. Instead, I reassured them and reminded them that they were safe. I met them where they were, not where I thought they should be.

And that’s when it hit me.

This is a lot like sanctification.

We Are All in Process

We are all at different points in our walk with Christ. Some are running ahead, growing in grace and knowledge with ease. Others are stumbling, distracted by things they shouldn’t be. Some are held back by fears or struggles that seem insignificant to those who have already learned to trust God in those areas.

But here’s the thing—just as my dog doesn’t understand the rules of the road and my kids don’t see the dark the way I do, we don’t always see our own spiritual immaturity. And yet, God is patient with us.

Philippians 1:6 reminds us:

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Sanctification is a process. It’s not instant. It’s not uniform. It’s not even predictable.

Some of us struggle with things that others find simple. Some take longer to grow in certain areas of faith. We all have blind spots. The very things we get frustrated with in others—immaturity, slowness to understand, weaknesses—are likely areas where we also struggle, just in different ways.

Think about Peter. He was bold, but impulsive. Passionate, but sometimes thoughtless. He was the disciple who declared that Jesus was the Christ (Matthew 16:16) and the one who, just moments later, was rebuked by Jesus for resisting God’s plan (Matthew 16:23). He swore he would never abandon Jesus, only to deny Him three times the very same night (Luke 22:61-62).

And yet, Jesus didn’t discard Peter. He was patient with him. He restored him (John 21:15-19). He kept walking with him, even through his failures.

Extending Grace to Others

It’s easy to get frustrated when others don’t move at the pace we expect. We wish they’d just get over that sin, learn that lesson, or trust God more. We see the distractions, the inconsistencies, the stubbornness, and we wonder why they aren’t further along.

But that’s not how growth works.

Even the disciples, who walked with Jesus Himself, were slow to understand at times. Peter was impulsive, Thomas doubted, and even after the resurrection, some still hesitated to believe (Matthew 28:17).

And yet, Jesus was patient.

He continued teaching them, walking with them, correcting them, but never giving up on them. If He is patient with us, shouldn’t we be patient with one another?

2 Peter 3:18 says:

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Notice that word—grow. Growth takes time. If we demand instant maturity from others, we forget the grace that God has shown us in our own journey.

This applies not just to new believers but to all of us. There will always be someone ahead of you in the faith and someone behind you. The question is: How will you treat those who haven’t caught up yet?

Walk With Them, Not Against Them

When I walk my dog, I have a choice.

I can yank him along, get frustrated, and make the whole thing miserable. Or I can patiently train him, guide him, and help him learn. I can let the journey be about him learning how to walk rather than me forcing him to keep up.

When I comfort my kids at night, I can dismiss their fears as ridiculous, or I can kneel beside them and remind them that they’re safe, that I’m there, that they can trust me.

And when I interact with fellow believers who are still growing, still struggling, still figuring things out, I can criticize and rush them—or I can walk beside them, encouraging them, reminding them of God’s faithfulness, and showing them the same patience He has shown me.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:2-3:

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Bearing with one another is not just tolerating each other—it’s walking with each other. It’s understanding that we’re all in process. It’s choosing humility over pride, patience over irritation, and grace over judgment.

This doesn’t mean we don’t speak truth or call people to maturity. Jesus did that constantly. But He did it with love, knowing that real growth happens in the context of relationship.

So next time you’re tempted to get frustrated with someone’s spiritual immaturity, remember this: we’re all on a journey. Some are ahead, some are behind, but by God’s grace, we’re all moving forward.

Let’s walk with grace.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Josh Chambers

If you would like to stay updated on new content, please fill out the subscription form below. Thanks for reading!