But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
—James 1:4
Patience is extremely important for people who want to glorify God and enjoy their lives. If we are impatient, the situations we encounter in life will certainly cause us to react emotionally.
The next time you have to wait on something or someone, instead of just reacting, try reminding yourself, Getting upset will not make this go any faster, so I might as well enjoy the wait. Then perhaps say out loud, “I am developing patience as I wait, so I am thankful in this situation.” If you do that, you will be acting on the Word of God rather than reacting to the unpleasant circumstance.
Remember, patience is a fruit of the Spirit that God wants to develop in your life. Don’t merely think about how hard and frustrating it is, but think about how blessed you can be as you learn the art of waiting well.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am grateful that You have planted patience in my spirit and that through You, I can react properly to any situation. Help me today, and every day, to exercise patience in all things.
Not Even One Thing
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6–7
Many words change meaning over time. When we hear the word “careful” today we usually think of being cautious, but the original meaning, the one used in the Bible for careful, is “to be filled with care”—in other words, to worry. This is not how God wants us to live. In fact, He tells us not to be worried about anything at all. Yet while we know that God does not want us to worry, we find it hard to trust Him when things go wrong.
In his sermon from this passage in Philippians called “God’s Cure for Anxious Care,” Dr. John Rice said, “What sin to leave the impression upon a sinning world that it is a thorny, troubled, defeated life to be a child of God! No, no do not so dishonor your profession, and so slander the God you serve! Get victory over anxious care, and be a happy, victorious Christian, shining forth like a joyful light in a sad and bitter and darkened world.”
Someone said, “Worry is wasting today’s time, to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.” The cure for worry is to take the things that cause us distress and lay them before the Lord in prayer. It is when we take matters into our hands instead and try to solve problems apart from God’s plan that we often end up in the worst trouble. While we certainly must do our part—faith does not mean sitting around and expecting God to drop things into our lap—there is no substitute for relying on God’s promises and love for us. When we trust Him and pray, we can overcome the things that would lead us to worry.
Philippians 4:6–7
Many words change meaning over time. When we hear the word “careful” today we usually think of being cautious, but the original meaning, the one used in the Bible for careful, is “to be filled with care”—in other words, to worry. This is not how God wants us to live. In fact, He tells us not to be worried about anything at all. Yet while we know that God does not want us to worry, we find it hard to trust Him when things go wrong.
In his sermon from this passage in Philippians called “God’s Cure for Anxious Care,” Dr. John Rice said, “What sin to leave the impression upon a sinning world that it is a thorny, troubled, defeated life to be a child of God! No, no do not so dishonor your profession, and so slander the God you serve! Get victory over anxious care, and be a happy, victorious Christian, shining forth like a joyful light in a sad and bitter and darkened world.”
Someone said, “Worry is wasting today’s time, to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.” The cure for worry is to take the things that cause us distress and lay them before the Lord in prayer. It is when we take matters into our hands instead and try to solve problems apart from God’s plan that we often end up in the worst trouble. While we certainly must do our part—faith does not mean sitting around and expecting God to drop things into our lap—there is no substitute for relying on God’s promises and love for us. When we trust Him and pray, we can overcome the things that would lead us to worry.
Today’s Growth Principle:
It is almost impossible to pray and worry about the same thing at the same time—so pray instead!
Waiting Well
by Joyce Meyer - posted January 14, 2017But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
—James 1:4
Patience is extremely important for people who want to glorify God and enjoy their lives. If we are impatient, the situations we encounter in life will certainly cause us to react emotionally.
The next time you have to wait on something or someone, instead of just reacting, try reminding yourself, Getting upset will not make this go any faster, so I might as well enjoy the wait. Then perhaps say out loud, “I am developing patience as I wait, so I am thankful in this situation.” If you do that, you will be acting on the Word of God rather than reacting to the unpleasant circumstance.
Remember, patience is a fruit of the Spirit that God wants to develop in your life. Don’t merely think about how hard and frustrating it is, but think about how blessed you can be as you learn the art of waiting well.
Prayer of Thanks: Father, I am grateful that You have planted patience in my spirit and that through You, I can react properly to any situation. Help me today, and every day, to exercise patience in all things.
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