Building a relationship with Jesus takes time, consistency, and a willingness to let Him transform us along the way.

Just like there is a process when it comes to making apple juice, there is a process when it comes to building a relationship with Jesus.

Think about it. You don’t take an apple from the tree and immediately have a glass of apple juice. There are steps involved. The apple has to be picked, washed, cut, and pressed before you ever get to enjoy the juice. Every step serves a purpose, even though the apple doesn’t look anything like the finished product when the process begins.

Our relationship with Jesus is much the same way.

Some of us expect to come to Christ and immediately have everything figured out. We expect our habits to change overnight, our thoughts to change overnight, our attitudes to change overnight, and our lives to suddenly look completely different. But just like that apple has to go through a process before it becomes juice, we have to go through a process as God works on us.

There are things God has to remove from us. There are things He has to soften in us. There are areas where He has to stretch us, correct us, prune us, and teach us. Sometimes the process is uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean God has abandoned us. It means He is still working.

And just like you don’t make apple juice once and never have to go through the process again, building a relationship with Jesus isn’t something we do once and then stop. It requires consistency.

Consistency is key when it comes to getting to know Jesus. The more you seek Him, the more you begin to recognize His voice. The more time you spend with Him, the more you begin to understand His heart. The more you surrender to Him, the more you begin to see transformation taking place in your life.

It took me years to reach where I am now, and yet I am still growing as I spend each day with Him. I am still learning. I am still being stretched. I am still being corrected. I am still becoming the woman God has called me to be.

Over the last few weeks, my time spent with Him has changed. I am no longer the woman who was blessed to spend two years in His presence in the way I once did. Now that I am on a new assignment, I miss those times with Him. I miss the quiet. I miss the way those moments felt. But that didn’t stop me from seeking Him. I just had to get creative with the way I spend time with Him.

Because that’s the thing about a relationship with Jesus: the circumstances may change, the season may change, and the way we spend time with Him may change, but our need for Him never does.

I am well aware that being intentional is the key to a successful relationship with Jesus. I can’t go a day without being in His presence, and that’s because with Him, I feel seen and loved in spite of my flaws.

So, whether you are a babe in Christ or a mature believer, trust the process when it comes to building your relationship with Jesus.

Don’t become discouraged because you aren’t where you think you should be. Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. Remember, there is a process to becoming.

The apple doesn’t become juice in one moment, and neither do we become everything God has called us to be overnight.

There will be seasons of pressing. There will be seasons of pruning. There will be seasons of stretching. But through every season, God is still working.

So trust the process.

Keep seeking Him.
Keep spending time with Him.
Keep showing up.
Keep allowing Him to transform you.

It may take you some time to get there, but remember:

We are still becoming.