"I should be further along spiritually by now after all these years as a believer."
How it sounds in your head: You've been saved for decades. You should have more faith, deeper prayer life, better understanding. Men younger than you seem more spiritually mature. What's wrong with you?
"And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."
-- Colossians 2:10Religion creates artificial spiritual rankings, making relationship with God into a performance evaluation.
Other believers quote more Scripture, pray longer, seem more confident in their faith. The gap between where you are and where you think you should be feels like evidence of failure.
He was crippled, in hiding, believing he was disqualified from royalty. David said "I will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat at my table always" - instant restoration of full inheritance, no maturity process required.
I REFUSE the lie that I should be further along spiritually. IT IS WRITTEN that I am COMPLETE in Christ right now - not becoming complete, but already complete. My spiritual position isn't based on my progress but on HIS finished work. IT IS WRITTEN that I already have every spiritual blessing. I'm not climbing toward God - I'm already seated with Christ in heavenly places. The blessing of Abraham is mine by COVENANT, not by spiritual development. I declare I am exactly where God says I am: complete, blessed, accepted, righteous.
Your Father isn't frustrated with your pace of spiritual growth. He's not comparing you to other believers wishing you were more like them. He's looking at you seeing Christ's righteousness, delighting in you exactly as you are today, inviting you to stop striving and start resting in the completed work.