THE PROCESS IS BUILDING YOU
DATE: 4th of September 2026
AUTHOR: Evang Ademola Elemo
SERIES: BUILDING TAKES TIME
📖 SCRIPTURE READING
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” — James 1:3
“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” — James 1:4
🕊️ MEDITATION
When God gives you a vision, you naturally focus on what you are going to become. You think about the success. The achievement. The platform. The impact. The testimony. The promise. But God is often more concerned with who you are becoming while you are waiting for the promise. The process is not only preparing the blessing for you; it is preparing you for the blessing. There are things you are praying for that require a stronger version of yourself. You are asking for greater responsibility. God may be developing greater discipline. You are asking for influence. God may be developing greater character. You are asking for wealth. God may be developing greater stewardship. You are asking for leadership. God may be teaching you humility and service. The process is building you.
PRESSURE CAN DEVELOP STRENGTH
James says: “The trying of your faith worketh patience.” — James 1:3
Pressure is uncomfortable. Waiting is uncomfortable. Correction is uncomfortable.
Failure is uncomfortable. But some of the qualities you need for your future will not be developed through comfort alone. A building designed to withstand strong winds must have structural strength. Likewise, God wants to develop strength in you that can withstand: Success. Pressure. Criticism. Delay. Temptation.
Responsibility. Disappointment. You don’t just need a big future. You need the capacity to carry it.
DAVID NEEDED THE PROCESS
Before David became king, he went through many experiences that developed him. He learned to care for sheep. He learned courage.
He learned how to fight. He learned how to worship. He learned how to wait. He learned how to respond to opposition. Even after Samuel anointed him, David did not immediately sit on the throne. There was a process. The oil came before the throne. The promise came before the position. The calling came before the public manifestation. That waiting period was not wasted. It was building David.
SOMETIMES GOD USES DELAY TO DEVELOP DEPTH
We often pray: “Lord, make it happen quickly.”
But God may be saying: “I am making you ready.”
If everything happened immediately, you might receive the responsibility without having the maturity to manage it. You might receive the money without the wisdom to steward it.
You might receive the platform without the character to handle influence. You might receive the opportunity without the preparation to sustain it. A blessing received before you are ready can become a burden.
God’s timing often protects you from what you are not yet prepared to carry.
CHARACTER IS BUILT IN ORDINARY DAYS
Character isn’t usually developed during moments when everyone is watching.It is built in ordinary moments. When you choose honesty even though lying would be easier. When you keep your commitment even though nobody would know if you failed. When you remain faithful when there is no applause. When you control your anger. When you forgive. When you keep working when results are slow. When you pray even when you don’t feel like praying.
Your ordinary decisions are constructing your character.
DON’T WASTE YOUR DIFFICULT SEASON
When difficulties come, don’t ask only: “When will this end?” Also ask: “What can I learn from this season?” What is this season teaching you about: Patience? People? Yourself? Your priorities? Your weaknesses? Your strengths?
God? Responsibility? Discipline? Sometimes the greatest benefit of a difficult season is not the thing you receive when it ends. It is the person you become while passing through it.
JOSEPH’S PROCESS
Think about Joseph. Joseph had a dream.
But the dream was followed by a painful process.
He was betrayed. Sold. Taken to Egypt. Falsely accused. Imprisoned. Forgotten. Yet God was developing him. By the time Joseph reached the palace, he had experienced enough to understand responsibility, administration, leadership, and suffering. The prison was not Joseph’s destination, but it was part of his preparation. The process gave him depth that the dream alone could not provide.
DON’T ESCAPE EVERY DIFFICULT LESSON
Sometimes we ask God to remove every difficult situation immediately. But there are lessons we can only learn by walking through certain experiences. This doesn’t mean you should remain in harmful or abusive situations. Wisdom includes knowing when to leave, when to seek help, and when to change direction. But when you are in a legitimate season of learning and preparation, don’t abandon it simply because it is uncomfortable. Growth is often uncomfortable.
ROOTS GROW DOWN BEFORE TREES GROW UP
A tree that is going to grow tall needs deep roots.
The roots aren’t visible. They aren’t glamorous.
Nobody takes photographs of them. But they provide stability. God may be taking you deeper before He takes you higher. Don’t become frustrated because your life appears to be moving slowly. Perhaps your roots are growing.
Your understanding is increasing. Your character is strengthening. Your faith is deepening. Your capacity is expanding. Depth often precedes height.
📌 KINGDOM TRUTHS
1. Trials Can Produce Patience
📖 James 1:3–4
God can use difficult seasons to develop endurance and maturity.
2. God Is Interested in Your Character
📖 Romans 5:3–4
Tribulation can produce perseverance, character, and hope.
3. Preparation Often Precedes Promotion
📖 1 Samuel 16:13; 17:34–37
David’s private preparation preceded his public assignment.
🙏 PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help me understand the purpose of my process.
When I become frustrated by delays and difficulties, remind me that You may be building something within me.
Develop patience, wisdom, discipline, humility, courage, and character in me.
Help me not to waste difficult seasons by focusing only on when they will end.
Teach me what I need to learn and prepare me for every responsibility You have planned for me.
May I become the person capable of carrying what I am praying for. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
📌 ACTION POINT FOR TODAY
Ask yourself: “What is this season trying to teach me?” Write down three lessons. Then choose one lesson and put it into practice today. For example: If the lesson is patience: don’t force the situation. If the lesson is discipline: establish a routine. If the lesson is wisdom: seek counsel before making a decision. If the lesson is humility: receive correction without becoming defensive. Don’t leave the season without learning what it came to teach you.
🌟 SPECIAL INSIGHT
Imagine a sculptor working on a piece of stone. Someone watching may see the repeated strikes of the hammer and think: “Why is he damaging the stone?” But the sculptor sees something that isn’t visible yet.
Every strike is removing what doesn’t belong.
Eventually, the shape begins to appear. God may be doing something similar in your life.
Some things are being removed. Some things are being developed. Some things are being strengthened. Some things are being corrected. And eventually, what God is building will become clearer. Don’t hate every part of the process simply because you don’t understand every part of it. The process is shaping you.