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Day 6 – Patience
Scriptures:
Hebrews 10:36 (NLT)
36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Romans 12:12 (NLT)
12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Romans 8:25 (NLT)
25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.
Galatians 5:22 (NLT)
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
A fruit of the Holy Spirit.
This is one fruit that I can confidently say most believers should have, or will be in the process of obtaining. Why you may ask? Because we wait shem!
When we arrive at a point of surrender, we wait for God to act, according to His Sovereign plan and timing.
Some waits are short, some are long. It’s a known fact that when He does eventually act, it’s right on time (whether we may agree/realise it or not)!
So I had mentioned previously that soon after I gave my life to Christ, I broke one of my front teeth. As a result, I was teased even more fervently. In my desperation, I pushed to get it fixed. I forced the matter even though my Mom said no or she said we needed to wait for practical reasons that I honestly cannot remember. Yet I pushed.
What a mess! I ended up with a tooth that just looked wrong, and on top of that, it would fall out (haha). So I was actually worse off at that point than what I was with my half tooth. Eventually, when the time was right, everything aligned and I received the help I needed. How did I know the time was right? Well I knew I wasn’t forcing things, and the outcome was beneficial.
I learnt this very quickly: don’t force things, especially when the motive for doing something is based off how other people make you feel or how they see you. I was challenged to accept myself for how I was at that time and not attach it to how Jesus viewed me. How Jesus viewed me had to be number 1 and it needed to shape how I viewed myself.
As much as you may have given your life to Christ, some things won’t change immediately. Sometimes even sinful habits. The key is being patient and forgiving towards yourself as you become intentional about changing; but also realising that you cannot change yourself – you must surrender and rely on God.
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9
Practical tips:
- If you are in need of patience, ask the Holy Spirit for it
- Trust God that He will make everything work out for your good (Romans 8:28)
- When you make and repeat a mistake, acknowledge and repent (turn your heart away from it and ask God to remove the desire to do it from your heart)
- Receive God’s forgiveness
- Endure (built up when faith is tested) – keep trying again!
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus. Thank You that You love me and accept me just as I am. Thank You that You are committed to transforming every aspect of my life to be good for Your glory. Please help me to surrender my life to You and trust You in the process. Thank You for Your grace as the Holy Spirit cultivates the fruit of patience in my life. I pray this in the Name of Jesus, amen.
