Patience
In this past season of intentionally slowing down, I feel like a student being taught and rewired. So often, I think I have used the business of ministry as an escape, being about what I thought was His business. Not intentionally, but as I’ve said in the past, I just allowed the current of culture to tell me what was necessary and what was needed. Yet, as I’ve entered into a season of slowing down and not traveling, I’ve come to see with glaring clarity the things inside of me that God desires to touch, heal, and focus on in this season.
As much as I would love to say, “I’m here for it!” I really have found it hard. The onion is not always easy to pull back the layers. As a loving father, our God pulls back the layers of our heart and will always touch the things we don’t even know are there. I’ve just come to realize that He won’t do it without our permission and focus.
One of those things for me has been patience.
I truly dislike the word. I’ve joked from the stage forever that I hate to wait. I don’t like to wait on fast food. In fact, if I go to McDonald’s and it’s busy, I will go to Burger King because they are never busy! But it goes deeper into my soul than fast food. It goes to struggling at times to tarry in God’s presence because of a hurried life that can cram too many appointments into a day, rushing to make this with the kids, tending to what this person needs, and on and on it goes. I’m not sure if I have ADHD, but my schedule sure does!
In some ways, I’ve come to realize that it’s not just that I struggle to be patient. I actually lean to impatience. Let’s go faster. Let's do more for God. Let's start this ministry. We need to reach this group. I also like to stop things and replace them with others. All of this produces anything but peace in my life.
I saw something in Scripture recently that really spoke to my heart. “Patience is the fuel of peace.”
The Greek word in Scripture for peace is “Shalom.” It literally means wholeness, completeness. It’s deeply connected with salvation.
Ok, here is the connection.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 NKJV
Do you see it? When we allow patience to have its perfect work, we come into completeness, and we lack nothing. It’s the same basic definition as peace! Not only that, but if I read this correctly, there are a lot of trials that we fall into that God is using to slow us down so that He can bring us into His peace.
In the posture of patience, we really lean into trusting that God is God. That we don’t have to perform better for Him to love us more. That value isn’t based on what we accomplish but in us being His child.
In patience, we step into being like Mary who sat at His feet instead of Martha who worked for everyone else.
“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:38-42 NKJV
“Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
If God is God, then He is worth waiting on.
If God is God, I must wait on Him.
If God is God, then He has; it and if He has it, then don’t have to have it.
If God is God, then I can wait on Him to….
I think that’s the point. I can wait on Him to do whatever He wants to do.
Patience is a key to peace.
As much as I would love to say, “I’m here for it!” I really have found it hard. The onion is not always easy to pull back the layers. As a loving father, our God pulls back the layers of our heart and will always touch the things we don’t even know are there. I’ve just come to realize that He won’t do it without our permission and focus.
One of those things for me has been patience.
I truly dislike the word. I’ve joked from the stage forever that I hate to wait. I don’t like to wait on fast food. In fact, if I go to McDonald’s and it’s busy, I will go to Burger King because they are never busy! But it goes deeper into my soul than fast food. It goes to struggling at times to tarry in God’s presence because of a hurried life that can cram too many appointments into a day, rushing to make this with the kids, tending to what this person needs, and on and on it goes. I’m not sure if I have ADHD, but my schedule sure does!
In some ways, I’ve come to realize that it’s not just that I struggle to be patient. I actually lean to impatience. Let’s go faster. Let's do more for God. Let's start this ministry. We need to reach this group. I also like to stop things and replace them with others. All of this produces anything but peace in my life.
I saw something in Scripture recently that really spoke to my heart. “Patience is the fuel of peace.”
The Greek word in Scripture for peace is “Shalom.” It literally means wholeness, completeness. It’s deeply connected with salvation.
Ok, here is the connection.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 NKJV
Do you see it? When we allow patience to have its perfect work, we come into completeness, and we lack nothing. It’s the same basic definition as peace! Not only that, but if I read this correctly, there are a lot of trials that we fall into that God is using to slow us down so that He can bring us into His peace.
In the posture of patience, we really lean into trusting that God is God. That we don’t have to perform better for Him to love us more. That value isn’t based on what we accomplish but in us being His child.
In patience, we step into being like Mary who sat at His feet instead of Martha who worked for everyone else.
“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:38-42 NKJV
“Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
If God is God, then He is worth waiting on.
If God is God, I must wait on Him.
If God is God, then He has; it and if He has it, then don’t have to have it.
If God is God, then I can wait on Him to….
I think that’s the point. I can wait on Him to do whatever He wants to do.
Patience is a key to peace.
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1 Comment
Thank you, Pastor Aaron, for sharing this. I, too, can relate to sharing your feelings of impatience! I want to get too much done too quickly, and when I fall short, I often stop and start something new; however, I often get nothing or not much accomplished. I look around at the disarray in my life and wonder, "How did I get here?" Waiting on God is sometimes difficult, especially when I'm hurting and want answers now.
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nI recently was hospitalized (over Christmas and New Year's) and was so alone and lonely during this time. My family was busy with their lives and I felt unloved, unwanted, uncared for, and deserted. I fell to the floor in a pile of dust, sobbing uncontrollably, and as I looked up to the sky, I just wanted to be with the stars above. All the while, I somehow knew that in my suffering and despair, God loved me and this was somehow part of His plan for my life -- perhaps to help someone in the future; perhaps to help myself. I hurt so deeply and wanted someone to just hold me and love me through this, but I had to rely on God alone, in these moments.
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nOne of my favorite Bible verses, and one that often gets me through very difficult times is Jeremiah 29:11:
n“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'”
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nI hope and pray that this year is a better year for me. I moved here over two years ago, from Treasure Island, FL. I moved here to be near my son and his family, but I desperately miss my parents and my lifelong friends in FL. I "still" haven't managed to meet anyone here in NC! I feel like I need more than I can give myself. I feel like I need a Holy intervention. Perhaps some members of the church wouldn't mind helping me when I can't help myself. I'm struggling to make friends because I rarely leave the safety and security of my lovely apartment. God doesn't want that for me. God wants me to become a part of His family, which is church. If there are church members who wouldn't mind picking me up for church on Sunday or worship services on Thursday or even a small group, it would be a really good step for me. At least I'd be moving forward instead of lying stagnant, afraid, and crippled. If some members could reach out to me, please ask them to call me. I "really" need some motivation and help.
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nThank you for listening to me.
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nSincerely,
nShela Fite
n727-290-8775