Hey everyone!! Elizabeth here :) Miera, our other blogger, is unable to continue with the blog. However, I will still be posting, and I will be announcing the replacement blogger soon! :)
In the meantime, a very sweet lady from my church was so gracious to let me post one of her devotionals she did at a Bible study not too long ago. I hope it's as much of a blessing to you as it was to me!!
For me personally, I have a very hard time being patient. I was raised as an only child, and was used to things running my way. I wasn't a brat, I didn't demand or expect things, my parents always asked my opinion and let me make decisions. Usually small things like what resturant we ate at, or what activites we did. I as I grew older I got used to telling people how things should be done and was under the opinon that I was right. Most of the time I could persuade poeple ( especially my parents) to see things my way. So when I became an adult, and got married, things became very hard. My husband didn't see things as I did, and didn't want to do everything that I wanted to do. Sometimes he wanted to eat somewhere different or watch a guy movie instead of a chickflick. Unfortunately it offended me, because afterall, my choices and desires were the right ones.
Not all of us have had the same upbringing. Not all of us were only children, but all of us, in some form, believe that we are right and entitled to happiness. We get so upset if anyone else dares to treat us poorly. If we are driving and someone cuts us off, or honks at us, we are outraged. We think "how dare that person treat me like that" or "I'm running late, they'd better get out of my way". I think that our lack of patience with others is because we are brimming with pride. We are so full of selfish pride, that we feel no one should ever cross us, or be rude to us, or make us wait. As Christians, the worst pride is our self-righteousness. We see ourselves as "higher up" than other "sinners". We might not struggle with a certain sin that they do, therefore we are better. That is , as long as we don't acknowledge the sin we keep hidden, like pride. We become outraged if someone at church steps on our toes, or if we don't get praised and reconized for something we did that was great.
Luke 18:10-14 "10- Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11- The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12- I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13- And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14- I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Here the Pharisee is so proud of his righteousness, and boasts about how great he is. His heart is full of himself and swelling with pride. He wasn't there to please God, he just wanted others to see how he kept all the rules and lived an outwardly perfect life. Verse 14 tells us that the sinner went away justified, because he humbled himself.
To be patient, we must let go of selfish pride. We have to humble ourselves, and put others feelings before our own. Leviticus 19:18 "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord." 1 Corinthians 13:4 teaches that love is patient. "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up" Charity which is love, is long suffering and patient, it's kind and not proud.
Patience is a virtue we must ask God to help us cultivate. We cannot witness and show others God's love, if we are huffing and puffing, or slamming doors because things aren't going our way. The definition of patience is - the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.
When others get snippy with us, or things aren't how we want them to be, we need to stop ourselves from biting back. We need to see ourselves as the sinners God saved. He always stays patient and loving with us, no matter how much we fail him. We are grateful of His mercy and grace to us, but the minute someone irritates us, we lose our tempers and our testimony. We must show God's love to others, by loving them with His love. His love is patient and forgiving. Give others the patience you would want to be shown.
-Amy
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