Friday, January 15, 2010

a lesson in patience

today, as i sat at a stop light in a subdivision, the light did not change and we waited and waited, until finally i too was getting a little antsy. it didn't seem like we were getting our fair chance to go. finally, the guy in front of me had enough and pulled out. he was about 3/4 of the way through the intersection when the light turned green. i smirked a bit as i pulled out at how foolish he must've felt, yet i'm sure under his breath, he justified his actions all the way. if he'd just waited a few more seconds, he could have experienced doing the right thing and not giving into his impatience. i've been there. at a stop light AND in life. it brought me to think about our lives. how many times are we in situations where we are waiting? we know we've been faithful, asking God fervently, trying to do it the right way by leaving it in his hands, yet the temptation to take control and just get the job done becomes unbearable. then it wins us over and we give in. we go ahead and take action and then miss out on the blessing of waiting to see what God would have done. and of course, it usually ends up changing...just moments after we've given in. what i've learned? it will always pay to stay the course and committed to what you say you'll do. to do the right thing, when cutting a corner could seem easier and faster.
if you are asking god to do something, persevere. hang in there. be patient. i speak from experience. i am the leader of the "do it yourselfers."so romans 5:3-5 have become life verses. tribulations produce perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope. choosing to persevere in patience is not usually easy, but it is always worth it. when we stay the course, then god is free to move and something wonderful happens. we SEE his hand at work in our lives and our faith is increased. so the next time you're at a light in your life that just doesn't seem to want to change, hold on, cause about the time you think you can't take any more and you want so badly to move, God will ask you again to wait and trust in him, and then he'll move his hand. then and onl then will you recieve the biggest blessing. you will grow and be sharpened and then you'll have your own story to tell. patience is a virtue because it is usually required in the moments we feel we cannot bare it any longer. but we do and our character is shaped more like christ. a worthy sacrifice if you ask me.
james 1:2-4 "my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

6 comments:

Alisha Beverly said...

It's true. Our very nature is all about 'now, now, now.' If only we could wait on God's perfect timing. I know I have struggled with that a lot.

Dionna said...

So true. I've been trying to "re-train" myself in this area too and it's tough!

Kimberly said...

I appreciate your post (and of course that has been a big lesson for me lately). Thank you for coming by with the tea and magazines. It was so nice to see you and the kids!

Nicole said...

thank you for sharing. such great words steph!

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