patience. It's like trying to drink 8 - 10 glasses of water a day. Almost impossible to do it all the time. But today, yes I'm a little behind on my 40 days of community devotional, I read about patience and it really put it into perspective for me. Here's a quick, I hope, summary:
-It helps when facing a patience-challenge to remember God will never ask you to give more patience to others than the patience he gives to you!
-Impatience is not love.
-...we're each at a different place in our journey with Jesus. Practicing patience lifts your perspective, helping you to see our diversity as a strength...
-Anybody can be patient when it's convenient-but it's much harder to remain patient when the day is slipping away, or when it's the same mistake for the third time in one week.
-One of the most practical steps toward real patience is learning to listen....more than just hearing someone else; it means to carefully and fully listen.
-"Listen before you answer. If you don't you are being stupid and insulting." Proverbs 18:13
I just love how blunt Proverbs can be :)
-God gave us two ears and one mouth, perhaps to tell us we should listen a much as we talk.
hmmmmm....
Then it says to ask yourself these questions when dealing with impatience:
What are the things that make me impatient?
What does my impatience over those things say about my priorities?
How can I better understand the people who bring out my impatience?
Have I taken time to listen to their full story?
In what ways do people have to be patient with me?
Do I give the same amount of grace to others as I expect others to give me?
The next time your patience reaches its limit remember how patient and understanding Christ has been with you.
How can you become more patient with the people in your life?
I genuinely struggle with patience every day. Every moment. But when I read this, it really flattened me. Jesus was so understanding with us, so patient...he dined with sinners, laughed with them, loved them. Died for them. For us. If I cannot even be patient with the ones I love, as much as he was for me, who am I? For a moment I felt horrible. But that is not what he wants either. Change. That's what he wants. For me to look and say, "Ok, now what am I going to do about it?" I need to start with being patient with my children. VERY patient. If I ask them to be patient in a store, or waiting for their lunch, but I can't be patient with them, how do they learn? They don't because I am sending them mixed messages without even knowing it! Do as I say, not as I do, right? Ughhh!
I could go on and on....but I think you get the idea of where I am going with this! Change! I need to change my heart. I love this verse that was in my devotion today,
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
If you are not a believer, ok, but you have to admit, there is some pretty awesome advice from a great Book, from a great Man, from a great God!
-It helps when facing a patience-challenge to remember God will never ask you to give more patience to others than the patience he gives to you!
-Impatience is not love.
-...we're each at a different place in our journey with Jesus. Practicing patience lifts your perspective, helping you to see our diversity as a strength...
-Anybody can be patient when it's convenient-but it's much harder to remain patient when the day is slipping away, or when it's the same mistake for the third time in one week.
-One of the most practical steps toward real patience is learning to listen....more than just hearing someone else; it means to carefully and fully listen.
-"Listen before you answer. If you don't you are being stupid and insulting." Proverbs 18:13
I just love how blunt Proverbs can be :)
-God gave us two ears and one mouth, perhaps to tell us we should listen a much as we talk.
hmmmmm....
Then it says to ask yourself these questions when dealing with impatience:
What are the things that make me impatient?
What does my impatience over those things say about my priorities?
How can I better understand the people who bring out my impatience?
Have I taken time to listen to their full story?
In what ways do people have to be patient with me?
Do I give the same amount of grace to others as I expect others to give me?
The next time your patience reaches its limit remember how patient and understanding Christ has been with you.
How can you become more patient with the people in your life?
I genuinely struggle with patience every day. Every moment. But when I read this, it really flattened me. Jesus was so understanding with us, so patient...he dined with sinners, laughed with them, loved them. Died for them. For us. If I cannot even be patient with the ones I love, as much as he was for me, who am I? For a moment I felt horrible. But that is not what he wants either. Change. That's what he wants. For me to look and say, "Ok, now what am I going to do about it?" I need to start with being patient with my children. VERY patient. If I ask them to be patient in a store, or waiting for their lunch, but I can't be patient with them, how do they learn? They don't because I am sending them mixed messages without even knowing it! Do as I say, not as I do, right? Ughhh!
I could go on and on....but I think you get the idea of where I am going with this! Change! I need to change my heart. I love this verse that was in my devotion today,
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
If you are not a believer, ok, but you have to admit, there is some pretty awesome advice from a great Book, from a great Man, from a great God!
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