Fireproof Day 10

LORD GIVE ME PATIENCE...NOW!
Patiently Working on Relationships

Am I the only one who has trouble staying on top of this patience thing? I mean come on! How can I constantly be still when I have so much to say? And we all know that when others hear what WE have to say it's going to fix everything right? So how can we possibly be patient, knowing that our great words and knowledge will probably KEEP THE WORLD FROM FALLING APART!!!

Well, you get the message (I hope). We were once told by a pastor's wife to never pray for patience because the Bible says in Romans 5:3 that "Tribulation worketh patience." It certainly does! But that's the danger of taking a verse out of context; you'll always come up with a bad egg. Look at the entire verse:

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5 (KJV)

What begins in tribulation or as some versions have it, suffering, ends up in hope and during the process builds experience or character. What a deal! And the hope we have does not disappoint. Why? Because of the love of God that is poured out in our hearts.

Want to know why the day-to-day tribulation we experience isn't producing patience and building character and hope? Because the kind of tribulation the Bible talks about is the result of living a godly life as a disciple of Christ. Most of the tribulation we experience is just the opposite; NOT treating others with the heart of Christ and certainly many times, to our chagrin, not our mates.

So if we're to "suffer tribulation" let's not do so as a result of treating others with less respect and compassion than we ourselves desire. Instead, let's do this:

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18 (ESV)

Until tomorrow,

Pastor Steve