Patience - Part Deux
Some more thoughts on patience - more along the lines of application.
At its core, patience is trust - trust in God. Therefore, in the providence of God, when I'm presented with opportunities to be patient (which are many), I need to remember that trust in the Lord is absolutely essential.
Starting with something small - When I have to wait in line at the grocery store (or at Costco, especially!), I can exercise some patience because I trust that God has ordained this for me and everyone else in the line; that He loves me more than I can comprehend; and that He is using it for good and it has some purpose. Now, I don't usually work through this thought process consciously every time I'm in line at a store and the person being checked out needs about four price-checks, has 75 coupons, and questions whether or not two or three of the prices were wrong. I start with patience and endurance, but it seems to go away rather quickly (a little confession). But if I have taken some time to think about it, maybe I'll be better next time and the time after that.
Now something larger - As I'm looking for another church to pastor, I need to be patient. In other words, I need to trust God - trust that He knows what He's doing with us; trust that He will provide for us financially and in every other way; trust that He will lead and guide us to another church; trust that He will be glorified regardless of what happens. When I recognize that, it's easier to be patient.
Something to think about.
At its core, patience is trust - trust in God. Therefore, in the providence of God, when I'm presented with opportunities to be patient (which are many), I need to remember that trust in the Lord is absolutely essential.
Starting with something small - When I have to wait in line at the grocery store (or at Costco, especially!), I can exercise some patience because I trust that God has ordained this for me and everyone else in the line; that He loves me more than I can comprehend; and that He is using it for good and it has some purpose. Now, I don't usually work through this thought process consciously every time I'm in line at a store and the person being checked out needs about four price-checks, has 75 coupons, and questions whether or not two or three of the prices were wrong. I start with patience and endurance, but it seems to go away rather quickly (a little confession). But if I have taken some time to think about it, maybe I'll be better next time and the time after that.
Now something larger - As I'm looking for another church to pastor, I need to be patient. In other words, I need to trust God - trust that He knows what He's doing with us; trust that He will provide for us financially and in every other way; trust that He will lead and guide us to another church; trust that He will be glorified regardless of what happens. When I recognize that, it's easier to be patient.
Something to think about.
posted by Pastor Larry at 10:06:00 PM
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