Do you desire patience? I have a feeling that is going to be a month of stretching.
Prepare your heart to be open and honest - here we go................
Prepare your heart to be open and honest - here we go................
Journal Time
- What are things that test your patience?
- What are good exercises that you can do that will help you find peace in those situations?
- Are you currently facing any trials or tribulations? How can you exercise patience and perseverance? Is there someone that you can reach out to for help during this time?
- Study Paul's teaching in Acts 14:22, why is Luke recording this message?
Today's lesson is one that I am so thankful for.
It seems as though I like to learn lessons the hard way. Even with guidance and good mentors in my life I would selfishly choose to do things my way. The baggage from those choices is a heavy burden. Thankfully I was able to work though that area of my life. It was years of struggle and commitment but with strength and patience from above I was able to lighten my load.
It seems as though I like to learn lessons the hard way. Even with guidance and good mentors in my life I would selfishly choose to do things my way. The baggage from those choices is a heavy burden. Thankfully I was able to work though that area of my life. It was years of struggle and commitment but with strength and patience from above I was able to lighten my load.
But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16
I love what Paul says here. Paul has quite the back story and his life is an example of what the power of Christ can do in your life. At first those around Paul questioned if his faith was authentic but with time and through the changes that were evident in Paul's life the questions ceased.
Those around Paul did not have the patience that Jesus does. We do the same - do we not? We expect change in us to happen immediately. We expect change in others immediately. It can happen, but the majority of time it is a process, sometimes a lengthy one. Jesus is patient. He knows that there is work to do. That He who began a good thing in us will bring it to completion. (Phil 1:6) Thank goodness that He walks beside us and patiently helps us grow.
Through the years of my journey back to wholeness I felt His hand guiding me and giving me strength. That was an incredibly difficult and yet the most rewarding time of my life.
I can remember it like it was yesterday - as I laid prostrate on the floor in a bawling heap of brokenness with my hands cupped to the heavens I asked God to take control of my life. I could not take another step on my own.
My prayer for us is that we never choose to walk on our own, but we invite the Holy Spirit to be a part of who we are and help us walk toward becoming who we have been created to be as we choose to patiently grow by his hand.
Those around Paul did not have the patience that Jesus does. We do the same - do we not? We expect change in us to happen immediately. We expect change in others immediately. It can happen, but the majority of time it is a process, sometimes a lengthy one. Jesus is patient. He knows that there is work to do. That He who began a good thing in us will bring it to completion. (Phil 1:6) Thank goodness that He walks beside us and patiently helps us grow.
Through the years of my journey back to wholeness I felt His hand guiding me and giving me strength. That was an incredibly difficult and yet the most rewarding time of my life.
I can remember it like it was yesterday - as I laid prostrate on the floor in a bawling heap of brokenness with my hands cupped to the heavens I asked God to take control of my life. I could not take another step on my own.
My prayer for us is that we never choose to walk on our own, but we invite the Holy Spirit to be a part of who we are and help us walk toward becoming who we have been created to be as we choose to patiently grow by his hand.
Journal Time
Study 1 Timothy 1:12-17
How does this passage relate to your journey?
Do you feel that you are walking alone? Spend time praying to the one who is patient with you, the one that knows your destination and invite Him to walk with you and guide you.
How does this passage relate to your journey?
Do you feel that you are walking alone? Spend time praying to the one who is patient with you, the one that knows your destination and invite Him to walk with you and guide you.
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Hello there! I'm Gina, and I'm a blogger at Contemplating Beauty, I've been there for about 7 years! I'm an aspired author, and currently working on my first book.
I'm living a very unexpected life in Oakland, California with my husband and apricot bichon-poo. I have a 22 year old daughter who is about to graduate from college! Outside of writing and speaking, I'm a Lay Counselor, enjoy knitting and nature. I absolutely adore Jesus and others, and live to be in fellowship with both. |
Journal Time
- Can you reflect on a time when you had to endure and have patience in your life? Long suffering--bearing through?
- As you reflect, how do you see that God used that painful time for His good and glory
- What did you do during your time of endurance that helped you get through?
- Lastly, how do you now handle suffering if you have endured through a painful period in your life?
If you study the old text of the Fruits of the Spirit you will see that patience is listed as forbearance. As I was looking up the definition for this word it read: patient endurance.
Our lives as followers of Jesus Christ are a choice of patiently enduring. That we actively choose to allow God's plan and follow His schedule rather than to make our own path. That we abandon our selfish worldly nature and focus on the one who made us, who loves us and has the best plan for us.
Our lives as followers of Jesus Christ are a choice of patiently enduring. That we actively choose to allow God's plan and follow His schedule rather than to make our own path. That we abandon our selfish worldly nature and focus on the one who made us, who loves us and has the best plan for us.
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. James 5:10-11
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4
As I was doing research this week I began to see all that we have been studying starting to come together. I have to admit that this month has seen extreme highs and lows for me personally. We had an amazing family vacation, one of the best times that we have had as a family.
Jan Lake, Saskatchewan
To celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary with a sewer back up in our basement.
after the demo
Let's be honest, we all know that patience endurance is difficult at times. Did I consider it great joy? Not always, but I have to admit (you can even verify this with my husband) - I handled it much better than I would have in the past. And with that statement I am referring to both experiences.
In the past, my family vacation would have stressed me out. My husband and I grew up very differently - what he considers a normal activity such as boating and fishing all day, was something I never experienced growing up. All new territory for me - my husband really knows how to stretch me. Now that we have completed a few family fishing trips I am more familiar with these events.
I can admit that I am a homebody, we bought a house that looked like a cabin located on the river, why would we need to go anywhere? My husband was shocked that I enjoyed this recent time away, it was very renewing and having a break from technology was good. Honestly, I surprised myself as to how much I enjoyed it.
Then the fiasco with our basement. It was not the way I wanted to spend the evening of our 15th wedding anniversary but what I have come to realize is that you need to live in your reality.
Let me explain, in the introduction videos I talked about looking at life's experiences as neither good or bad but as a character building exercise and you can learn and grow from each circumstance that you experience in life. Each day we are given a new reality and we need to choose to live in it.
Choosing to be upset about our possessions floating in our basement wouldn't help our situation. I choose to save as much as we could and except my new reality. I have even taken the time to evaluate how I am thankful for this situation:
As our time of studying patience comes to an end, I can practically see how all the fruit fit together to help us become representatives of Jesus Christ. Col 3:17 Each fruit is stretching and shaping me a little more.
I am praying for you sisters, we are all on this journey together, we can do this! Philippians 4:13
In the past, my family vacation would have stressed me out. My husband and I grew up very differently - what he considers a normal activity such as boating and fishing all day, was something I never experienced growing up. All new territory for me - my husband really knows how to stretch me. Now that we have completed a few family fishing trips I am more familiar with these events.
I can admit that I am a homebody, we bought a house that looked like a cabin located on the river, why would we need to go anywhere? My husband was shocked that I enjoyed this recent time away, it was very renewing and having a break from technology was good. Honestly, I surprised myself as to how much I enjoyed it.
Then the fiasco with our basement. It was not the way I wanted to spend the evening of our 15th wedding anniversary but what I have come to realize is that you need to live in your reality.
Let me explain, in the introduction videos I talked about looking at life's experiences as neither good or bad but as a character building exercise and you can learn and grow from each circumstance that you experience in life. Each day we are given a new reality and we need to choose to live in it.
Choosing to be upset about our possessions floating in our basement wouldn't help our situation. I choose to save as much as we could and except my new reality. I have even taken the time to evaluate how I am thankful for this situation:
- helping our family deal with excess
- organizing an area that was in desperate need
- going through boxes from when we moved here 10 years ago!
- motivation to have a yard sale
- a great insurance adjuster
As our time of studying patience comes to an end, I can practically see how all the fruit fit together to help us become representatives of Jesus Christ. Col 3:17 Each fruit is stretching and shaping me a little more.
I am praying for you sisters, we are all on this journey together, we can do this! Philippians 4:13
Journal Time
- How have you learned patient endurance in the last few weeks?
- What is something new that you have learned about patience during these sessions?
- How have you seen changes within yourself since the workshop began?
- Spend a few moments in quiet with the Lord, what is heavy on your heart? Give it to Him, He really wants to take it from you.