It's All About Willingness

Several months ago I began a series on the fruit of the spirit. I had to let some time pass because for one, I don't have the market cornered on patience. Remember; I am married and have three kids. I have friends, extended family, and neighbors. I have a past, a present, a future, and a dog. I drive on roads with other drivers also driving. That can be very frustrating!  I live in a place that is cold, even when everyone else says it's pleasant. There are many things about my life that don't go exactly as I want them to occur. Sometimes I take it well- in my own opinion. Other times I am a terrible pain as I "suffer" through whatever it is I am suffering.

I've taken these months to ponder what to write about patience. What about my life can be related to someone else? It's not that I'm all that different.

What can I do to practice patience?

Hold my tongue.
Bite my lip.
Take a proper deep breath.
Remember that patience shown to me so many times.
Just smile.
Remember the real fight I'm fighting.
Remember my purpose.
Remember what God has called me to do.
Remember that I am imperfect.
Remember that when we are under stress, we do things that don't make sense.
Remember that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world.
Think about how I would want to be treated in this situation.
Consider others as better than myself.

As I am typing this my children are fighting and yelling. Slamming doors. I have a pressure problem in my head. My hands were just trying to cool my brow. I didn't say a word. Whatever it was worked itself out. I remember being a very loud kid when it was convenient for me. This may be one of those moments my mom was talking about when she said, "I hope you have kids just like you." or something of that nature. The truth is, I do have kids just like me.

There are times when realizing in the moment that Owen, Alex, or Emma are just like me brings great joy. Then others come creeping in shortly after that bring a deep sense of sadness. This patience business is...well, it's really hard work. Oswald Chambers once wrote "all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult." In all honesty, the sadness creeps in because I recognize it's my sinful nature that they are reflecting back to me. I showed them how to be that way. Whatever that way is.

Praise the Lord, for the hope of renewal. Restoring relationships is what God does, so long as we let him. So, with that I bring in the fact that I choose, we all choose, if we will react or respond to any situation. Reacting is a natural chain of events, it occurs when we don't think first, but only feel. A response comes after we've examined the facts and determined what to do about it. Our emotions are not given to us as people made in the image of God to control us, and definitely not to control any other person. We are made with the gift of feelings so that we can learn to show compassion to hurting people just like you (or me.) It is not only possible, but imperative that we control our SELF. Sometimes we don't know this truth, but if you've just read this, then now you do!

My husband has said something that fits nicely, and that is, "People can have knowledge (you can tell them, and they can nod their head) but if they aren't WILLING, nothing will change." I guess what I need to do is be willing to put my will aside, and serve with His will. Because it's all about glorifying the Lord anyway.

I want to share the passage of Scripture I've been working on over the past couple weeks. It's a relevant topic to be sure. Here it is!

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge the rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. -Proverbs 24:3-4 (NLT)