A thought kept coming to me all this week as I was studying and that was 'if I can't seem to have patience for those around me who constantly test it, then why do I expect God to show me that same mercy?'
It is hard for me to grasp that God has the same human traits that we have. I mean I know that we are made in His image but I very rarely think of Him with the same emotions as we have. But this week the thought of Him always being patient with me and showing forgiveness time after time hit hard. I started thinking about all the times I had begged for forgiveness and asked God just to hang in there. That one day I will get it, but yet when someone needed me to just hang in there with them, I couldn't do it. I wrote them off. I started thinking about how God felt all those time I went against Him and how patient He was with me, knowing that at the right time I would finally get the picture. I'm sure there were times when God wanted to thump me on the head and say "Kacie, have you lost your mind!? This is not how you are supposed to behave." I'm almost positive that it would have been easier to write me off during those time, but God wouldn't hear of it.
Something else I thought was interesting was brought up in the video. Beth said 'the practice of patience helps complete something lacking in us.' She then went on to say how this was true about the people that are put in our lives and how God uses them to help us with things that we need to work on with Him. First, they are there to bring out the worst in you. I work with someone who can bring out the nastiest person in me and try my patience. She is snippy with me and just down right hateful at times. When she gets in her 'let's make Kacie's day miserable' mood it takes all I have not to come across the cubicle. I immediately react in anger. I started saying all these nasty things about her. Not to her face mind you, just behind her back like most of us girls do. I realized by acting this way that God needs me to get my anger in check. I am no better than her when I start shooting off at the mouth. It is something that is a working progress, but just this week she decided to trout over and test me. I was proud of myself because I kept my angry in control and just let it slide. 2 points for Kacie!
Secondly, they keep us from thinking too highly of ourselves. How often do we think we have it all together and then someone comes in and tells us otherwise? They seem to know the exact moment you are feeling good about yourself and where things are headed and wham! they come at you. I don't always want to hear what they have to say and I get frustrated with them but then I start thinking of how they are a blessing because you know when you get too high on that horse the devil might just get ya. And I would much rather have God snap me back than the devil!
And thirdly, they keep our pretenses from working. They keep you from getting this idea in your head that everything is going to just fit together and go just as you planned. I have gone to church all my life and when I got married, I had just assumed that Brent and I would go to my church and that we would just hit the door running volunteering, doing bible studies and all these other things I had planned. Well I guess I failed to give Brent this memo. Brent is strong headed and works in his own time so when I started telling (key word) him what we would be doing, he backed off. I then had to step back and realize that this little picture I had in my head was wonderful but that I have to let them flow naturally. I have to be patient with Brent and what God has planned for us in that aspect of our lives. All those things I hope for will one day come at just the right time.
Patience is a hard thing! I never thought it would be something that I would struggle with but boy do I! I'm going to have to constantly remind myself of the wonderful mercy God shows me and how I must then show that same mercy to someone else. If I by chance slip, which I know I will, I give you all a free pass to thump my head!
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Patience is something most people probably stuggle with I would venture to guess. In my case, I get these ideas or plans in my head (great and noble as they may be) and I want to act on them immediately. But that is not always what God wants. Usually its not what God's plan is for me. I struggle with giving up my plan or dream and being patient for what is really planned for me. I'm sure there are many times (I've lost count) when God wanted to thump me on the head too, and say "Emily, would you please just be patient. I've got you covered if you would just wait and see!"
ReplyDeleteThis was so crazy that I read this morning because today is Day 1 of our Love Dare study in Sunday School and the topic just happens to be patience! I never realized how impatient I can be, especially with Travis, until I started reading some scriptures and insights on the topic. I get so frustrated waiting on him, for instance we nearly get into an arugument every Sunday as he piddles around the house and we leave the house at the exact time service should start! I've come to realize it's pointless for me to get so upset over his inability to be punctual. Life is too short to get so uptight if we are a few minutes late. It could be God's way of preventing us from being in an accident or something!
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with patience with God. I definitely try to do things my way too often. I keep praying for answers and expect answers immediately, but it's important to remember answers will come in God's time. I have a tendancy to rush into things on my own will and many times that has backfired. Slow to speak/act is what I am practing today! :)
I tend to forget that being patient involves more than just patience. (Does that make sense?) On day 3 Beth made a couple of statements that "thumped" me so I wrote them down in order to remember them. The first was "we cannot both judge others and be patient towards them. One cancels out the other." And, "if we are going to become vessels of God's patience toward others-we must also learn to be void of judgement toward others." So, patience/judgement go hand in hand. I suppose it shouldn't be so hard to realize that patience, forgiveness & judgement all intermingle. Since...I'm constantly praying for patience, to be forgiving and to stop judging (as if I have any authority to judge). And, I would like to say that over the years I've improved in these areas--but just about the time I think I'm making progress God has a gentle way of reminding me that I still have quite a way to go.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness God is so patient and merciful!
On the topic of forgiveness, I have such a time with this and have struggled all my life it seems. What I can tell you from personal experience is, as Beth said, "Unforgiveness tortures the person who harbors it."
Girls, don't allow unforgiveness to destroy you!
Till next week!