Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Patience is a Virtue!

One of my favorite sayings to my kids is “Patience is a virtue”. Whenever they are nagging me for something, I remind them of it in hopes that they will quiet down. One thing I know about patience is that I am fairly good at it if everything is going my way. Over the last few weeks, I have come to hate the virtue quote. The patience with my healing process is wearing thin, and I almost found myself throwing a tantrum this morning after physical therapy. I am sure I am becoming a nag to my therapist as I keep asking can I do this or can I do that…can I, can I?! Thankfully, he hasn’t used the quote on me yet, but I have a feeling he wants to.
So today’s lesson is for me…and maybe you if you find your patience is running on empty. 
Galatians 5:22 talks about the fruit of the Spirit, and patience just so happens to be included in the list. As followers of Christ, we should produce patience because it reveals our faith in God’s timing, omnipotence, and love. I for one have faith in God’s timing; however, sometimes I hate that it takes so long! But, I have to remember He knows what He’s doing.
The thing about patience is that it doesn’t necessarily mean for us to passively wait with gentle tolerance. In fact, according to Hebrews 12:1, we should “run with patience the race that is set before us.” In this case, it means “endurance.” We should therefore push through life’s trials expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.
Here are some other verses in the Bible that tells us about patience: Colossians 1:11 tells us that we are strengthened by God to “great endurance and patience.” James 1:3-4 lets us know that trials are God’s way of perfecting our patience. Our patience is rewarded in the end “because the Lord's coming is near” (James 5:7-8). “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25).
Lack of patience I have discovered leads to stress, anger, and lots of frustration. These are normal reactions to it! But, as Christians, we do not need to be held captive to that response. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Thank God for your situation and seek His purposes. Romans 8:28 says, “All things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Yes, even those things that test our patience.

So, I’m counting to ten now and praying while I am doing it. God will get me through this trial, and He will do the same for you. Have patience, my dear! Because, after all, patience is a virtue!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Cut It Off

You know the one thing I hate is that the devil knows my weaknesses. He knows what things to dangle in front of me that might cause me to sin. Recently, he was coming at me with something very tempting that I found myself praying every day for God’s armor. While I was able to resist the temptation, I knew that if something didn’t change soon, there was a chance that I might give into it. And, that is when I remembered Matthew 5:30 that says, If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” So, I cut off my hand…no seriously, I knew that I had to cut off that one thing that could cause me to sin. 

We all have different temptations, whether it is shopping, eating, drinking, or even sexual temptations. There are ways to resist those temptations. My first suggestion is to avoid it all together if possible. Don’t go looking for Satan just to show that you can withstand his wiles. Draw boundaries for yourself that keep you away from the danger. 
One lesson we should learn about resisting temptation is that we aren’t very good at it. It is dangerous to trust ourselves to always say “no.” We might say “no” 98 times in a row, and weaken on the 99th time. One of the best ways to avoid problems is to keep out of situations that test our resolve. If we are tempted, maybe that’s a sign that we are already too close.
So, you can’t do it on your own? Get help! Peer pressure can keep us honest, if we are with the right kind of peers. The more we are open with those we trust, the better they can help us. No one has all the strengths, so we need the strengths that other people have, too.
We all fall short sometimes. Thankfully, we have a forgiving Father who knows are weaknesses and is there to help us every step of the way. Maintain that intimate relationship with Him and remember to read His Word! It is a weapon that we can use to fight off the devil and the temptations that he throws at us.
1 Corinthians 10:13, “NO TEMPTATION has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Thursday, April 12, 2012

God is Good

Today marks one week since I had surgery to repair my ACL. Let me just say that it has been an extremely long week. I celebrated my one week post-op by riding the stationary bike for five minutes. All I have to say is God is good!

He is good because He answered my prayers about by meniscus. The doctor was prepared to remove a portion of it, but found that it was just a small tear that will heal on its own. I have to admit I cried when I found out because that was my last prayer before I went into surgery.

God is good because before I got out of bed this morning, I prayed that I would be able to bear the pain which up until that point has been overwhelming. As I made my way to the bathroom to get ready for work, it was the first time in a week that I didn’t cry from the pain.

God is good because my riding the bike today is three weeks earlier than I anticipated! And, I am down to using one crutch!

Psalm 34:1-10 (Message) says, “I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with His praise. I live and breathe God; if things aren't going well, hear this and be happy: Join me in spreading the news; together let's get the word out. God met me more than halfway, He freed me from my anxious fears. Look at Him; give Him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from Him. When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. God's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to Him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all His goodness.”

Thank you to those that that have been praying for me. I have felt all of your prayers! I am very blessed to have such a great family and friends!