Therefore, patience.
1 Tim 1:16 – “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
The present section of my devotional life centers on patience and the man of God. In meditating on the above text, I thought that striving for patience is healthy for two reasons (not meant to be comprehensive): A) Being patient unites us with Christ. Often it is easy for me to make a quick, uninformed judgment or snap at someone. In being patient, one senses the faithfulness of the Son toward the father. Jesus deeply trusted his Father and working toward and being patient lets us into the heart of the son – one that knows the love and justice of God. B) There is a beautiful eternal aspect to patience, whereby those who are ignorant of Truth are wooed to God by our manifesting this quality. Christ, the Light of the world, in us.
I do not think it healthy to be patient just because the Bible says it’s a good thing. Nike legalism, or the “Just Do It” mentality, is deathly and such motivation is anti-Christian.
posted by PB&K @ 10:37 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Amen. I think God has been trying to teach me something similar too, but I've been assuming I can hurry up and learn the principle rather than allowing God to show me what it's like to wait on the Lord and work out my salvation with fear/trembling/prayer/ fasting/devotion/service and all the patience in between... this has been quie a challege for me.
Janine
just looking up "patience" on bible gateway, i noticed that patience is coupled with the other fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and faith. i feel that like janine said, that patience along with the other fruits, can't be forced. but like it a fruit it comes into season as we grow in our relationship with God. though we may strive to have these characteristics, i think in the end, the beauty of it is how God produces these fruits as He works in us and through us.
hey! i was just thinking about you the other night when i saw your comment! thanks for the encouragement...and praise god for your trip to chicago!
keep well in christ,
kristen
Thanks for the video. It took me a bit to figure out what I was looking at! :)
I've learned that praying for patience can be a dangerous thing because there are many trying ways to make one more patient and I hate waiting to become more patient! But I think that God will make you a better man in your desire for exhibiting Christ-likeness. From the last sermon: "obedience affects your ongoing sanctification." The work is in that "it is wrong to think that obedience will effortlessly flow." St. John of the Cross wrote, "to come to the pleasure you have not you must go by a way in which you enjoy not." So on our journey, persist in this desire and resolution for it as we encourage one another on.
(Do any guys read your blog?)
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