Have Patience
Photo by Debby Hudson
This week I want to share with you a little of my husband’s message from this Sunday morning. He is in the middle of a series called Built To Last and this last message was on patience which I believe is an important message to hear right now. You can listen to the whole message here or go to our New Hope Church Facebook page and watch the whole service there.
Have you ever prayed, “Lord, please give me more patience!” I think we all can put up a hand here. However, this is actually the wrong prayer. Instead, you should be asking God to show you how to exercise the patience He has already given you.
Hear me out now! Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. Which means, just like joy (which we talked about last week), true patience doesn’t come from your own will power, but from the spirit of God who lives on the inside of you.
You may feel like you are powerless right now. You might feel like you don’t quite know where to put your focus or attention. Maybe you are bored out of your mind, or maybe you have your hands full with a house full of kiddos.
Exercising patience doesn’t mean that you are sitting idly on your couch watching time slip by. Rather, having patience is a focused action. As my husband said in his message, “patience is NOT waiting around for the answers, but to keep you aimed and focused in the right direction while you wait for the manifestation of the answer.”
Hebrews 6:11-12 says this, “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish (lazy), but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
While we are waiting for life to return to normal, we have a choice as to what that waiting looks like. Some might choose to be lazy and watch as much tv as possible while others might try to find anything and everything to do.
Martha was an example of the latter. When Jesus went to Mary and Martha’s house, Martha was crazy busy trying to cook a meal while Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Jesus so lovingly said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her “(Luke 10:41-42).
You have a choice of how you exercise patience during this waiting pattern we are in. You can choose to be lazy, you can choose to be busy, or you can choose to get closer to God than you ever have been before. Like Jesus told Martha, “One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part..”
One thing is needed right now. Purpose to set time aside to sit at Jesus’ feet and get closer to Him like never before. Exercise your patience by:
Spending quality time in prayer. Pray for our nation and leaders. Pray for wisdom for those on the front lines fighting this sickness.
Read the Word. Don’t just read passively, but focus your attention on it. Meditate on it - which means to think about it, speak it, and recite it. Especially meditate on verses about anxiety and worry. A simple google search will give you all kinds of verses on the subject.
Ask the Lord what you can do for Him - to be His hands and feet during this time. You might have the right words someone needs to hear right now.
Please know that I am praying for you! Blessings friends!