Abundant Life
Patience
“There is no patience equal to the patience of God.”
Patience is not an attribute that is embraced whole heartily for most individuals or seen as the virtue it once held in society. It is often criticized in our fast-paced world by those who embrace the “just do it” mentality.
Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, penned this powerful insight (quoted above) based on his journey of learning how to embrace a life of patience as he sought to fulfill God’s purpose on this earth.
When we become impatient with waiting for the promises of God on our lives to be fulfilled, or begin to question the way that He is going about bringing it to pass, we must remind ourselves of His perspective on time and waiting.
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2Peter 3:8)
“…but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
In the waiting, God is doing a transforming work in your heart and life that makes no allowance for shortcuts or lack of integrity in your heart, mind or soul. The process of preparation, however long it takes, leads us to a life of total dependence and surrender to the God which sets us apart for His glory and not our own.
If you are a follower of Christ, you have been given patience as a gift, it is a fruit of the Spirit:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is … patience…” (Galatians 5:22)
Let patience have it way in your life and you will be thoroughly prepared, called up by the Lord, who is faithful to fulfill every promise He has placed on your life.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” (1Peter 5: 6-7)
Scripture Quoted in ESV
The Gift of a Lifetime
Most gift-giving comes with strings attached and an expectation of reciprocation on some level. We are afforded many occasions throughout the year to give gifts to others as a gesture of affirmation, validation or reconciliation to possibly strengthen fragile relationships. In each case of gift-giving you have the giver and the receiver and at the core exists the relationship between the two.
God set the bar really high when it comes to the pure essence of gift-giving when He revealed His heart on the matter:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)
In other words, when God gives a gift to us it is pure with no strings attached and perfectly designed to meet our need for all time as a recipient. God’s gift is given voluntarily without any payment or expectation in return. If we accept His gift we accept without any particular effort of having to earn it.
When we receive His perfect gift we find all the affirmation, acceptance and validation that we sought in other gifts that can never meet this need. Most of all we find our relationship restored to the God who created us to be in relationship with Him.
The perfect gift is Jesus Christ our Savior, the Gift of a lifetime. What He offers can never be paid for by any effort on our part. He was sent by God to save mankind.
“…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Have you received the Gift of a lifetime?
loretta j. willis, author 