Give Me Patience - NOW

I am afraid that most of us pray this way.  We want God to give us what we want, when we want it, and PRONTO.  That's not the way it works.

We wouldn't ask a person that rudely so why don't we use our best manners when it comes to the Creator, the Master of the Universe, and our King Forever?  I don't have the answer but I know that I am guilty and I suspect you are too.

Humility, patience, longsuffering. . . these are not traits that we like to hear about much less practice.  Ah but we must for our Lord practiced all of these and more.   Maybe that's why some of the pious Jews in Jesus' time put scriptures on their bodies to remind them.  Be patience.  Be loving.  Be kind.  Be available.  Be humble.  Be longsuffering.

And in our case. . . Be Christlike.

Generosity is Contagious

My grandmother was a giver.  I never left her little country farmhouse without a sack of tomatoes or jars of jelly.  She wasn't rich in material wealth but she wanted to give. Giving expressed her love.  I wonder if we think of that when we write a check to the church or share with someone in need.  Giving can salve our conscience because it's the right thing to do.  But perhaps we should reread the story in Luke 21.  Jesus commends the widow for her tiny gift because "she gave all she had to live on."  She supposedly went unnoticed but gifts done for the right motive don't go unnoticed.  The decision to be generous will change your life and the lives of those around you.

Generosity is a Decision

A baby no matter how precious is born with a clenched fist.  Part of the fallen nature of man, we are doomed to be selfish and think of No.#1.  When we are converted to Christ, our nature changes and the old Scrooge must go and we take on an attitude of giving.  Generosity is something we can cultivate.  Each tiny bit of giving unclenches that fist.  We give until it hurts and then it feels very very good.  Take every opportunity to share with another.  It's a decision that will change your life.

Be Generous

People love to get stuff, especially free stuff.  Americans are famous for their big cars, big houses, big food portions, big everything.  But I wonder if that is true of our hearts.  We tend to be generous with everything but ourselves.  I am putting myself on the hook too.  It is easier to be generous with a few dollars than with myself or my time.  Chapter 6 of 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life introduces some folks you don't know but their generosity will inspire your life.

Surrender Opens Doors

Two of my favorite modern day heroines are Corrie Ten Boom and Elisabeth Eliott.  Corrie chose a prison camp rather than turn away the Jews being persecuted in her town.  She provided a haven for many before being arrested herself.  She saw her sister, Betsy, waste away and die but Corrie was faithful to her task. She surrendered but never gave up.

Elisabeth became a widow at a very young age.  Her husband, Jim, was slaughtered as he attempted to preach Christ in Ecuador.  Instead of giving up, she surrendered her life to reaching the people in that tribe. The journey was long but fruitful and proved to be a lifelong adventure.

What adventure are you missing by resisting surrender?

Tale of Two Guilt Trips

David was a king.  He has everything he could ever want.  But that wasn't enough.  He wanted a woman who belonged to another.  He devised a crafty plan, murdered the husband, and took Bathsheba.  He paid a hefty price for his sin, but guilt led to repentance and restoration.

Judas was a disciple.  He was treasurer of the "in" group.  But that wasn't enough.  He needed recognition.  He devised a crafty plan, betrayed Jesus, and paid a hefty price for his sin -  suicide.

Two men, two sins, different endings.

God's Provision in Forgiveness

And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His.  When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself. (Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place)

If you've had many adventures in your Christian walk, you understand that sometimes the Lord asks you to do something you feel unequippred to carry out.  Biblical characters felt that through the Old and New Testaments.  Every one felt inadequate either in the their education, prowess, intelligence, or purity. But at the eleventh hour, God came through.

Corrie lets us know that when she face her most bitter opponent and offered friendship, God furnished the feelings to accompany the act.  When you forgive and love your enemies, God provides the love.

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