Week of August 15
The Bow and Arrow
Have you ever been described as an impatient person? It is easy to feel impatient. Maybe traffic isn't moving fast enough and you are going to be late for your meeting. Or you can't get through the checkout lane quickly enough to pick up your children from the babysitter. These daily irritations can zap your strength and cause you to lose sight of what really matters.
The source of true patience is the Spirit of God. His patience toward us allows us the opportunity to grow and to become more like Him. He does not give up on us. When we are stubborn and fail to learn what God wants to teach us, He continues to demonstrate His patience.
Many times, we grow impatient with a colleague, friend, child, or spouse and forget that God is patient with us and requires us to do the same with others. One of the causes of impatience is spiritual shortsightedness. Our view is limited. Therefore, many times we only see what has a direct impact on our lives. We become impatient because we can't see life from God's perspective!
God has a greater plan. While He does not always show us the details, we can know the big picture—we are in His loving hands.
Oswald Chambers writes:
Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of the archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says, ‘I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands.
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12).
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