Good Morning! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week. It’s Friday already! WooHoo! So I’ve been tested a lot by my sweet 2 year old daughter. She can boil my pot over in .025 seconds. When I’ve reached my limit I catch myself praying “Sweet Jesus PLEASE just give me a little more PAtie….uhhh, I mean… Please control my temper with my daughter & hold my tongue. Amen” Just for the record, counting to 10 doesn’t work for me, especially when she joins in with me. :0) For as long as I can remember, I’ve always heard ”Be careful when you pray for the “P” word” , “God’ll teach you patience all right”, etc. so I’ve pretty much banned it from my prayers in fear that God will “teach me a lesson”. But isn’t that what I need? To be tested, tempted, or broken? (The following question comes from the movie Evan Almighty) Do you think God is going to just give us an abundance of warm fuzzy feelings or will He give us opportunities to grow & learn patience as a result? When we’re faced with obstacles, we ask God for guidance and/or patience to wait it out till the finish line. This is when we’ve persevered in Christ & ultimately have established a stronger relationship with Him. Who doesn’t want that? Below I’ve included Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 in the NLT version as well as The Message version for comparison.
I also attached Luke 11:9-13 from The Message Bible in hopes to rid some apprehension of praying for the “P” word. I love this version! I pray this brings some encouragement to you today! I love you & hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (New Living Translation)
7 Extortion turns wise people into fools,
and bribes corrupt the heart.
8 Finishing is better than starting.
Patience is better than pride.
9 Control your temper,
for anger labels you a fool.
Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (The Message)
7 Brutality stupefies even the wise
And destroys the strongest heart.
8 Endings are better than beginnings.
Sticking to it is better than standing out.
9 Don't be quick to fly off the handle.
Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.
Luke 11:9-13 (The Message)
9 "Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.
10-13"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"
Individualism--the Christian Way
3 years ago
Thumbs up! And how 'bout this verse:Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance (ANOTHER WORD FOR PATIENCE); perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. ROMANS 5:3-5
ReplyDeleteBut, suffering is hard to pray for! There's a song that has the words from Phil. 3:10: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I want to "share in His sufferings?" Hard words for me to sing!