Pilot

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Romans 12: 2-3

Do you have a favorite TV show? Preferably a sit-com or some other scripted show. Got one? Here's the challenge: Go and find the pilot episode of that show. Try searching YouTube or Hulu.com for your favorite show's pilot episode. Watch that pilot episode.

Recently, while I was channel surfing, I found the pilot episode of Seinfeld. I settled in, prepared to laugh and enjoy the antics of one of the funniest shows (in my opinion) in television history. One problem- it wasn't the Seinfeld like I remember it. It was clear that the show was still searching for an identity, and many of the characters were searching too...maybe trying a little too hard too. It was still funny, but not as funny as I remember other episodes being.

Did you watch the pilot of your show yet? Did you notice anything different? The set probably looked different, the characters were probably underdeveloped, and maybe even the transitions from scene to scene were not like normal. All those things came with time.

Faith is the same way-it's a process. If we were to look back at ourselves when we first believed, we might not recognize ourselves...or our faith. We're constantly changing, rediscovering our identities in Christ. Growing in faith...with some set-backs here and there, but the hope is that our faith is growing in the long run.
The TV shows changed because someone worked on them- worked out the characters, plot, and set. Growing in faith is usually not easy-it requires newer, greater challenges. As Christians, we should strive each day to become more and more like Christ... So how does your faith look different from when you first started? How far have you come? What's the next step?