Rehabilitation isn’t a quick fix. It takes time, perseverance and patience. But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong (Galatians 5:22-23). Patience isn’t just a quality or skill we have. It’s a process of growth. So is rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation can rarely be rushed. Patience can never be rushed. A physical therapist develops a plan for rehabilitation over time. The combination of exercises over time meets goals. It’s not simply the exercises that heal the body. It’s also the limit of exercises. Just because 30 repetitions are good for rehabilitation doesn’t mean 60 are better. The increased challenged and decreased rest time will likely be detrimental and cancel out some of the positive effects of the therapy. If the therapist decides your body needs a full week’s rest in between sessions, going to another therapist on alternate days to speed up the process will likely not work as you’d like. Even when you’d prefer to push through and get to the end result faster, you might find the end result you reach more quickly isn’t the intended end result at all. Lack of patience changes the rehabilitation process.

The same thing happens spiritually. God knows what you need and when you need it. He knows when you need to exhale and completely relax in His presence. He knows when you need to inhale and gather all the strength He pours into you for perseverance. Pushing through on what you think is your own strength, courage, and agenda is likely not going to help you as much as you believe it is. You might see some short-term benefits, but the long-term wear-and-tear on your relationship with God isn’t worth it.