But it just goes to prove that no matter how good our intentions are we disappoint others.  We are human, we make mistakes and we unknowingly cause pain.  Sometimes it’s not easy to let go of the pain that others cause us even when it wasn’t deliberate.  We often want to hold on to it and allow the hurt to grow instead of letting it go.  We refuse to allow God to heal the wounds left on our heart or rid us of the disappointments we experience because of our expectations of others.

However in times like these we need to remind ourselves that the people we place our trust in are flesh and blood just like we are.  They make mistakes.  They say and do the wrong thing.  Only God alone is perfect.  In the words of the psalmist in God alone my hopes comes from…

⁵ My soul is quiet and waits for God alone. My hope comes from Him. ⁶ He alone is my rock and the One Who saves me. He is my strong place. I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6 (NLV)

Does that mean we shouldn’t depend on our family, our friends, the people around us…? No it doesn’t. The world would be a lonely and depressing place if we had no one we feel we could count on.  It simply means that ultimately God is the only one in our lives who never fails.

I knew all this, but I did not know that I could have a relationship with Christ, and, through Him, with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. These were the names I rote-ly recited whenever I did the sign of the cross. And while I turned from the religion that I was raised in even before I left my childhood home, I always had faith.

I had faith in a God that existed in heaven. I had faith that He created the world and would judge us. I just didn’t have faith that He would save me through His doing rather than my own. By it’s very definition, faith seemed to require action on my part.

Faith is defined as “complete trust or confidence in someone or something” or a “strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.”

To me, that made sense – if I had faith in God, it was my doing. I believed in Him or I did not. I did not attribute my belief or unbelief in any way to anyone but myself. I never saw faith as something I had been given by God. It was something I could choose or discard. It was about me just as much as everything else was in one way or another.

And then it was not.

In March several years back, I attended a luncheon where I was introduced to Christ as a Savior who died on the cross for my sins. My sins – that was about me. That was the one thing about me I could have done without facing. And yet, with that knowledge also came the chance to be forgiven. To live forever in relationship with Jesus Christ, and, through Him, God the Father.

Still, that was about me. I could be forgiven. I could have a relationship. I could…

… have something beyond me.

I could have faith.

I could have a real faith – a different faith – one that didn’t seem to come from me – from what I believed as much as from what I desperately needed and longed for… One that seemed to come from Someone other than myself – yet within me.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

That’s what it was – a gift. It was not of my doing – it was not because I was good enough, believed enough or even knew enough. It was because God gave me that faith – right there on the spot. I didn’t go looking for it. To the contrary, I showed up skeptical of anything having to do with the God I never really understood. The God who had allowed my earthly father to die of cancer. The God I knew was not a God I had faith in as someone who wanted me. He was certainly not a God I wanted to know.

Yet, I sought Him out over and over in my life, trying to return to the only religious system I knew when I moved, when I was troubled and when my firstborn was young. It was not by my faith that I sought Him, but by that faith He had already given me.

“…for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6b (ESV)

I don’t really know if I believed He would reward me when I sought Him out during my father’s battle with cancer or any other time in my life. I don’t know whether I believed that or I believed that He did reward those who sought Him if they were worthy of His love – something I was not.

Still, He sought me out, and, eventually, I surrendered my will to the faith He gave me and believed what I could not see – what I could not choose to believe as a fact other than by faith – that Jesus, my God, became man for the sake of all mankind, died on the cross for my sins and for yours and rose again so that all that believe – including me – may have eternal life.

Faith.

This faith that I claim because His Word says I can comes from Him. It overcomes the world – sin – unworthiness – satan. It is not something I can brag about because it is a gift from Him. Instead, it takes away my pride as I cannot take credit even in believing.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” 1 John 5:4 (ESV)

Faith. Faith is victory over unbelief. Faith glorifies…

…it glorifies Him.

I am in charge of lunch duty for our Pre-K 3 class.  With little hands and fingers, much help is needed.  Parents pack the children’s lunch but it still needs to be opened and straws inserted into juice boxes.  I hear choruses of Miss Debbie from the whole group of children at once.  Each one needs help and …they want that help NOW!

I’ve had to stop at times and ask them “How many Miss Debbie’s are there?”.  They laugh and shout ONE Miss Debbie!  So I ask them to raise a quiet hand.  I tell them they need to learn to be patient.  I will help each one of them as soon as possible.  But patience is not something 3 and 4 year old children typically demonstrate.

Noah is a kindergarten child and he happened to be passing through one day when he heard my dilemma.  He quietly told me that patience means to ‘wait without complaining’.  I thought that was quite wise from the mouth of a five year old.  His parents must have shared that definition with him.  And after Noah shared that with me, our whole class can now recite the definition of patience; waiting without complaining.

But I have to ask myself that question.  How patient am I?  How patient are you?

Consider the following questions:

• Do you become impatient with people who don’t get to the point and ramble on?
• Do you use your cell phone when you’re in line to check out at a store?
• Do you text while your child is trying to get your attention?
• Do you lean on your horn when a driver misses the green turn signal?
• Do you pray for something and then give up when you don’t see an answer quickly?

There are times when I can identify with a few of these examples.  It actually saddens me to see how many parents do not give their full attention to their child when they pick them up from school.  We’ve become a society that does several things at once and has become quite impatient.

Galatians 5:22-23 says:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

When I surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to be in control of my life, I am more patient.

When I allow my emotions and self to be in charge, I’m impatient.

So we have a choice.

I know I’d rather be Spirit controlled and patient.  People notice and I can give God the glory.  And in a world of impatient people, that stands out.

Blessings and love,

]]> http://lacedwithgrace.com/devotion/patient/feed/ 8